Tall Man
by Tyrannosaurus-Bomb
Summary: Yusuke and Kuwabara are set to work when strange Demonic Power Generators begin to appear in and around their home city. At first things seem easy enough, but when secrets are revealed about the illusive Demon opposing them, they begin to question their own confidence in winning. (Includes Yusuke x Botan pairing, and also an OC of my own.)
1. Another Case

**Chapter 1 – Another Case**

 _ **Ningenkai. Summer of** **1991.**_

It was a bright summer's day in Ningenkai, and the warm afternoon sun enveloped a small humble city, lighting up the windows of its many buildings. One of these, a long stoic building sat out proud in the city's suburbs, was Sarayashiki High School. The large school building looked very grand with its sturdy body, large modern clock, and glowing windows. But it was nothing but an image of crushed dreams and sorrow for around 1000 young men and women. The school's students.

It was around 11:35 am, meaning that all of the students were in lesson, sweltering in their packed classrooms. All except a certain young man stood on the roof of the school. A well-built young man, around 5'10", with large fierce eyes, and fine black hair that had been combed into a menacing pompadour. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his green uniform pants, and his eyes were fixed on the horizon longingly. He slowly looked down to the ground with a heavy sigh, his eyes darkening slightly as he kicked a pebble.

"Boooriiiiiing."

He hated school… No, he _loathed_ it. He skipped as much as he could, and when he couldn't, he would cut all his most boring lessons. Which is what he was doing now. No one should have to suffer an hour of math. So, he had decided to head to his usual hiding place instead; the school roof.

"Ugh, why is it taking so long?" He growled quietly to himself, turning and beginning to pace back and forth, his black shoes tapping on the slabs beneath him. "I knew I shoulda worn my watch. They look dumb, but I guess they can come in handy."

Just as he finished his last word, a sharp ringing sound filled the air. His eyes widened a little, a grin forming on his lips. Oh how he loved that angelic sound. The lunch bell.

He turned and headed over to the roof door, taking the handle and opening it. He began to whistle innocently as he stepped inside and kicked the door shut behind him, heading down the steps with his hands still stuffed in his pockets. He reached the bottom of the stairs and began to walk down a hallway.

It was lunch break, so the hall was filled with students, conversing and making their way to classrooms to eat. He grinned to himself as he walked past them.

"Suckers…" Oh how he pitied the weak fools who willingly went along with the school's timetable. He spotted his locker a few feet ahead and began to head over to it. Once at his locker, he reached out to the handle.

 _"YUSUKE!"_

He froze, blinking slightly in surprise. Light footsteps could be heard behind him, followed by a sudden sharp impact in the side of his head. He snapped his eyes shut and reeled to the side, clutching his head. " _Agh!_ What the hell!?"

A girl around his age, with shoulder length brown hair and large brown eyes was stood in front of him, a dark glare on her face. Keiko Yukimura. Keiko stepped towards him threateningly, her hands balled into fists. "You cut class _again!_ That's the third time this week! Ruin your grades if you want, but don't go ruining our class reputation."

Yusuke uncomfortably rubbed up and down his arm. "Jeez, cool it Keiko. I just felt sick is all. You don't want me straining my head in math when I've got a sickness, do you?"

Keiko growled and tensed her neck, teeth clenched tight as she resisted the urge to scream at him. He'd always been a stubborn mule. And at times like this he pushed her straight to the edge. A slender eyebrow twitched as she hissed from between her grit canines. " _Cut the crap Yusuke._ Do you know how many times I've saved your butt this year? If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be allowed within 100 feet of this school. Don't you think can at least repay me by turning up to lessons like everybody else?"

Yusuke waved a hand at her. "Yeah, right, I will, don't sweat it. But I didn't have a choice this time, I really felt ill, okay?"

Keiko sighed and shook her head. He was hopeless, but he was a good friend. However hard she tried she could never stay angry at him. "Fine..." She gave him a stern glance and turned her back to him. But before heading off to her friends, she took another quick look back at him momentarily, her expression much softer. "...I'll catch up to you in a few minutes, kay?"

Yusuke nodded, a small smile touching his lips. "Yeah, sure."

Keiko smiled at him a little, before she headed down the hall to her group of friends. Yusuke watched as she left, then turned back to his locker and unlocked it. He opened the metal door and pulled out a small plastic bag, before nudging it shut with his elbow and locking it. He shoved the bag in his pocket and headed down the hall, continuing to whistle.

* * *

Yusuke yawned loudly, shoving a few potato chips in his mouth and chomping on them loudly. He was sat at the back of his homeroom, leaning back in a chair with his feet propped up on a desk as he greedily ate his lunch and gazed out a window.

A few other students were in the room, but they stood well away from Yusuke, knowing well of his terrifying reputation as a brawler and school punk.

"Hey, Urameshi."

Yusuke blinked at a nearby deep voice, swallowing his food as he looked to his right.

A tall young man was stood a few feet away, his narrow eyes locked firmly on him. He had thick reddish-brown hair that had been slicked into a drooping quiff, and he wore a school uniform much like Yusuke's, except baggier and blue. He had a set of headphones around his neck, running down to a Walkman that poked out from the top of his pocket.

Yusuke smirked at the other student and tilted his head. "Hey Kuwabara."

Kuwabara grinned and grabbed a chair, pulling it up next to Yusuke's and planting himself in it. He opened up a brown bag and pulled out a beef sandwich which he began to hurriedly devour, glancing up to Yusuke. "So, got your ass busted by Keiko again?" His voice was muffled, and crumbs spilled from his full mouth.

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "How'd ya know?"

Kuwabara chuckled and swallowed. "I could hear her shouting from down the hall."

Yusuke rolled his eyes and shoved some more potato chips into his mouth. "I swear, that girl must have a 12 foot pole up her ass. It's like she lives to piss me off!"

Kuwabara raised an eyebrow. "…Actually, it seems more like _you're_ the one who lives to piss _her_ off.

Yusuke shrugged and swallowed his food. "Whatever... Don't get me wrong, I like her. We've been friends for years for cryin' out loud. And I know she's tryin' to do this for my own good. But I'm just sick of her breathing down my neck all the time. If she wants to get good grades, then fine. But she should spend more time studying than following me around and waiting for me to screw something up."

Kuwabara nodded, looking at the floor as he continued to eat his sandwich. "...You _should_ try studying sometime Urameshi. It's real good for your brain. It's, like, the secret key to getting good grades."

Yusuke snorted and shook his head. "Oh, right, I forgot that you're a working stiff now."

Kuwabara looked back up to Yusuke, a slight grin on his lips. "You have to be a working stiff if you wannna make a living. And as men, it's our duty to work, so we can make money to protect and feed our women and children."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Well aren't you old fashioned. You always did have a face like a grandpa. Guess that explains it."

Before Kuwabara could reply, a brown bookbag was suddenly slapped onto the desk beside Yusuke's feet.

"Good afternoon you two!"

Yusuke and Kuwabara looked up, to see a familiar pretty girl stood behind the desk in front of them, dressed in the standard school uniform. She had long blue hair that had been tied up into a ponytail, and large sparkling rose eyes. She sat herself on the side of the desk facing away from them, directing a signature bubbly grin at Yusuke from over her shoulder.

"Botan?" Yusuke blinked. "What are you doin' here?"

"Hi Botan, what's up?" Kuwabara grinned at her and leaned back in his chair.

The blue haired girl smiled at him. "I'm very good thank you Kuwabara! Thank you for asking." She directed a childish frown at Yusuke, kicking her legs playfully.

Yusuke scratched his nose and folded his arms behind his head. "I'm guessing you didn't come here for a leisurely chat. Or, could you not resist the school girl get-up again?"

Botan tilted her head. "This schoolgirl outfit _is_ very cute, but you were right on your first guess Yusuke. I'm here to deliver information from Koenma."

Yusuke sighed and rolled his eyes. "Lemme guess, another case?"

"Bingo!"

The juvenile ran his fingers through his dark slick hair. "Well you're wasting your time. I'm taking a break from work."

Botan frowned and tutted, slapping his leg softly. "Yusuke, don't be silly! You're the Spirit Detective, you can't just take breaks when you feel like it. It's your _duty_ to follow up the cases that Koenma gives you, you really have no choice."

The Spirit Detective waved a hand at her. "Well I'm changing the rules. From now on, I can take breaks whenever I like. Just give the case to my secretary here." He gestured toward Kuwabara. Said teen blinked, before suddenly frowning and shoving Yusuke's shoulder.

"Stop being such a lazy asshole! You can slack in school, but you can't slack in cases! You're The Spirit Detective dumbass, now start acting like it!"

Botan giggled and fist-pumped. "That's the spirit Kuwabara! You show him!"

Yusuke growled with a heavy frown, dusting off his right shoulder. "Alright, fine. Just tell me what the stupid case is."

Botan smirked and bonked his head. "Sound less enthusiastic would you Yusuke!"

Yusuke rolled his eyes as Botan shifted her legs round in between the two boys, and she leant closer to keep the conversation private. "Ever since the beginning of the week, strong traces of powerful demon energy have been detected in the surrounding area. Koenma has managed to narrow the source of the power down to a small abandoned factory in the south of the city. He wants you to head down there, check it out, and destroy any demons you might come across."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow and gazed over at Kuwabara for a second. "Is that it?"

Botan nodded. "That's it!"

"Pff, this'll be a cakewalk. Let's go now, I could finish this before the end of lunchbreak."

Botan frowned and bonked his head again. "No more skipping for you Yusuke! I'll pick you up from your home at seven o' clock, so make sure you're ready."

Kuwabara clicked his fingers to get her attention. "Hey, don't forget about me! I'm the Spirit Detective's partner, so I have to come."

Yusuke snorted. "But won't you miss out on some precious studying?"

Botan ignored Yusuke's comment and tapped her chin. "…Well, if you can be ready and at Yusuke's by seven, then you're more than welcome to join us. We could always use the extra help!"

Kuwabara tightened his right hand into a fist. "Nice! I've been itching for some action."

Yusuke smirked at his friend. "You volunteered. If you get killed, it's on your own ass."

Kuwabara glared and pinched Yusuke's ear. "Shut up Urameshi! I can handle myself."

The Spirit Detective winced and moved his head away. "Ack! Sure, whatever. Jeez…"

Botan hopped down from the desk. "It's settled then! I will pick you two up from the Urameshi household at seven. Enjoy the rest of your classes!" She bonked Yusuke on the head again, before grabbing her bookbag and skipping playfully out of the classroom.

Yusuke frowned and watched as she left, rubbing his head. "What a weirdo..."

* * *

 **Hope this isn't too bad for an intro! Not much action just yet, but this chapter is just to set the scene really. I will try to keep a balance of action and character interaction in this story. I love writing action, but I just think the characters in this series are too awesome to not be the focus.**

 **Please drop a review and lemme know what ya think. I'm new to fanficiton, so it'd be awesome to get some feedback!**


	2. The Factory

**Chapter 2 – The Factory**

"Hey Urameshi!"

Yusuke's apartment shook as a loud banging sound came from the door. It continued for a moment, before a shirtless, pissed off Yusuke marched towards the door, swinging it open. "What is your problem!?"

Kuwabara blinked from the doorway, before chuckling slightly. "Aheh, there you are." He stepped inside, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Your mom not here?"

Yusuke closed the door. "Nah. She's probably out at the bar, as usual."

Kuwabara nodded, before turning back to him. "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

Yusuke narrowed his eyes. "Cos you started knocking and screaming before I could get one."

Kuwabara snorted. "Yeah yeah, well hurry up slowpoke. Botan will be here soon."

"Then she can wait." Yusuke turned and headed back into his room.

The taller boy followed after him, his sneakers squeaking slightly on the wooden floor. They soon reached Yusuke's room, and the ginger teen looked around. "Woah, ever heard of a vacuum cleaner?"

Yusuke opened a draw and pulled out a black tank top, which he slipped on over his head. "Yeah yeah, shut the hell up."

Kuwabara snorted and stepped over to Yusuke's desk, curiously picking up a large ornate golden ring. "Hey, is this your Spirit Gun concentration ring thingy?"

Yusuke looked at the ring in his hand. "What do _you_ think?" He reached out to where the ring had been and wiped some dust off the wood surface. "Don't really need it anymore. Makes my shots a bit more powerful, but it drains my energy faster."

Kuwabara chuckled, and he placed the ring back down. "I kinda miss those days. Back when we first discovered our power. You had to use that ring, and I had to use that stupid piece of broken sword. Things were simpler back then..."

Yusuke hummed a little in humour. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean they were easier. We were weak back then man. But look at us now, we're friggin' unbeatable!"

"Damn right!" Kuwabara grinned widely, when a loud knocking sounded from the door.

" _Yoo-hoo! Yusukeee!"_

Yusuke snorted and looked toward the door. "Well well, look who's here." He quickly tucked his vest into his jeans, before heading out of his room and to the front door, followed by his friend. He opened the door, revealing the blue-haired reaper dressed in her signature pink kimono, smiling sweetly from the doorway.

"Hey babe." He folded his arms with a rather bored expression.

"Hello Yusuke! You look very nice!" She glanced over his shoulder. "And Kuwabara! Fantastic! Good work boys, very organised!"

Kuwabara smiled, moving his hands to his pockets. "I'm ready as hell to kick some ass."

She giggled a little. "Good!" She then stepped back and held out her hand, a tall wooden oar suddenly materializing in her grasp. She held it out in front of her and hopped on, its magical properties allowing it to easily hold her weight several feet above the ground. "Well, we have no time to waste!"

Yusuke nodded, turning back to Kuwabara. "Come on man." They walked out from his apartment, and he shut and locked the door. The Detective shoved the door key into his pocket and walked up to the flying oar, hopping on behind Botan. He winced a little and reached down to pull at his tight jeans. "Ugh, why can't this thing have seats?"

Botan rolled her eyes. "Oh be quiet Yusuke, we need to hurry before someone sees us."

Kuwabara snorted, and he too walked up to the oar, clumsily clambering on behind Yusuke. The oar suddenly tilted backwards under the accumulated weight, Botan gasping in surprise.

"Oh gosh!" She frowned and pushed back forwards, re balancing the weight.

Once it was settled, Kuwabara shuffled a little to get comfortable, before grabbing hold of Yusuke's shoulders for support. "Ready!"

Yusuke frowned as his friend's large mits took hold of his shoulders. He then shuffled forward and wrapped his arms firmly around Botan's waist. "Right, let's split."

Botan nodded and fixed her eyes to the orange sky. "Hold on tight boys!" Without warning, the oar suddenly began to rise into the air, a current of warm air enveloping the trio. Kuwabara, who had never ridden Botan's oar, was clutching tightly to Yusuke's shoulders, his eyes cautiously wide.

"W-Woah… Are we supposed to be going this fast!?"

Yusuke snorted and glanced back at him over his shoulder. "Calm down, we haven't even started moving yet. And take it easy on the grip man, you're breakin' my shoulders here!"

Kuwabara released his grip slightly, still looking around frantically. Though he soon began to relax, and his sharp breaths became small chuckles. "H-Hey, this… this isn't so bad… Haha... Hell, this is fun!"

"LET'S GO!" With Botan's command the oar suddenly shot off like a bullet.

Kuwabara was whipped backwards, stopped only by his grip on Yusuke's shoulders. His eyes widened hugely, his mouth wide open. "WOAH! OH SHIT, WE'RE GONNA DIIIEE!"

Yusuke clenched his teeth, glancing back at his friend. "KUWABARA! _RELAX!_ "

Kuwabara blinked, silenced by Yusuke's outburst. He cleared his throat in embarrassment, pulling a confident macho expression, though his knees were still shaking nervously.

The Spirit Detective looked back ahead, peering over Botan's shoulder, watching as they ascended up above the clouds. "So, we're going to some kinda old factory?"

Botan nodded and tilted her head towards him slightly. "Mhm. It was closed down a few decades ago when the company went bust. It's dark and abandoned, the perfect place for a group of demons to operate without human detection."

Yusuke frowned. "Sounds… nice."

"Don't be silly Yusuke!" Botan tutted, clearly not catching onto his sarcasm. "I can assure you, it will be anything _but_ nice."

The Spirit Detective rolled his eyes. "You don't say…"

* * *

"Yusuke, there it is." Botan pointed down below.

It was late, and the sky had turned a dark blue colour, the only sunlight remaining from the red edges of the horizon. Yusuke could just spot a fat brown building in the hazy darkness below. It was a square shape, and smaller than he'd expected, hugging the edge of a field on the outskirts of the city.

Botan glanced back at him momentarily. "Let's waste no time. Hold on!" She directed the tip of the oar downwards, and they began a speedy descent towards the derelict building.

Kuwabara gasped, his eyes narrowing and tearing up from the wind whipping at his face. "Slow doooown!" He gritted his teeth and squeezed Yusuke's shoulders in a vice-like grip. The Spirit Detective winced, but before he could shout, they were already at the ground. Botan pulled the head of the oar upwards, halting their descent and leaving them to hover three feet above the ground.

Kuwabara scrambled clumsily off the side of the oar, landing heavily to the floor, his face buried into the grass. "I… I-I'm alive… N-Never again…"

Yusuke released Botan's waist and hopped off the oar. He stepped over to Kuwabara, just as the taller boy got up onto his knees. The Spirit Detective gritted his teeth, before whipping a hard back-hand into the back of his head.

The red-head yelped, his eyes widening and crossing as his vision filled with stars. "Ughhh…." He fell face-first to the ground again, his body twitching slightly.

"That's for cutting off the damn blood supply to my shoulders!" Yusuke growled.

Botan stepped up next to him with her oar in hand. "Keep it down boys, we need to move!"

Kuwabara groaned loudly, before heaving himself up onto his feet. He turned to Yusuke, a dark glare on his face. His nose and forehead were covered in dirt and pieces of grass, and he spat out a few pebbles. "I'll get you for that Urameshi!"

Yusuke smirked, patting his head. "Suuuure. But _after_ we stomp some demon ass." He turned and headed towards the abandoned factory, followed by Botan. Kuwabara brushed the dirt and grass off his face and gray sweater, before walking up beside them toward the front door. They stopped at the old wooden door, its worn, rotting appearance coaxing a distasteful scowl from Botan.

Yusuke eyed the front of the building up and down. "Don't you think it's kinda small?"

"I guess it is, for a factory." The reaper looked up at the windows of the broad building. "Apparently they used to make basketballs here."

Kuwabara snorted. "Ugh, basketball..."

Botan glanced back at him. "Oh? You don't like basketball?"

The redhead cringed. "I hate it. My coach always makes me join the school team cos I'm the tallest in our gym class. Every Friday I have to go in for goddamn after-school practise."

"Aww, that's a shame." Botan tutted. "I'm sure you're good at it though!"

Yusuke glanced back at them with a bored frown. "Yo, can we leave our conversation about Kuwabara's life troubles for later?"

Botan blinked. "Oh! Of course, sorry Mr Detective! Lead the way!" She held up a mock salute.

Yusuke rolled his eyes and reached out to take hold of the rusted handle. He turned the handle and shoved the flimsy door open, creating an ugly creaking sound from the rusted hinges. "Huh, aint locked…" He took a moment to examine the shadow within, before clenching his hands into fists and stepping inside. A cloud of dust swept up from the floor as Yusuke stepped in, covering his black sneakers with the thick grey substance. He looked around at the surrounding darkness, unable to make anything out.

"It's dark as hell." Slowly his vision began to adapt to the low light, and he was able to make out the shape of the room. It was around the size of a small classroom, with a wooden door at the back, and a stack of wooden crates in the far right corner. The floor was coated with dust, and the walls were worn and peeling.

He turned back to the others, waving at them to come inside. "Come on, it's clear."

Botan and Kuwabara stepped in after him, narrowing their eyes in the darkness. Their eyes soon adapted too, and Botan pointed towards the door. "That's the only way we can progress." She spoke quietly, not wanting to attract any unwanted attention.

Yusuke nodded and walked over to it, followed by the others. He took hold of the handle, before turning back to Kuwabara. "Get ready to kick some ass."

Kuwabara nodded, a determined frown on his face. "I'm always ready…"

Yusuke held his breath, before turning the handle and pushing it open. He briskly stepped inside, his hand levelled and index finger pointed forwards. He was closely followed by Kuwabara, who had his right hand tensed by his side, ready to summon his Spirit Sword.

But there was no one inside. Yusuke listened as the sound of their abrupt entering footsteps echoed around the walls, and he glanced over the room with narrow eyes. They'd entered a small warehouse, similar to a school gymnasium, beams of silver moonlight piercing the darkness through slender windows that lined the tops of the walls. The room was almost empty, except for a few old crates in the corners, and a large spherical object eerily sat in the centre.

Botan stepped up beside Yusuke, frowning. "What's that?" She pointed to the black sphere.

Yusuke shrugged. "Hell if I know. Maybe they made basketballs for giants here?" He lowered his hand and narrowed his eyes. "I'll go check it out." He turned to Kuwabara. "Cover my back."

Kuwabara nodded. "Got it."

Yusuke took a breath, before cautiously beginning to walk towards the ball.

Kuwabara slowly followed a few feet behind him, his hand held out in front of him, prepared to unleash his sword at any moment.

It didn't take Yusuke long to reach the peculiar object, and he stopped a few feet away from it, examining it with a frown. It was a solid black sphere, around three feet tall, the moonlight shining crisply off its surface. The Spirit Detective slowly reached out and placed a hand on its surface. It was smooth and cold, like polished black marble. It looked dense and dead, though touching it sent a crackle of energy down his spine. Undoubtedly Demon Power.

Kuwabara leaned to the side and peered over Yusuke's shoulder. "…What is it Urameshi?"

Yusuke slowly shook his head. "I dunno man. It's got Demon Power in it though, I can feel it."

Kuwabara frowned at the sphere for a moment, before stepping forward. "Lemme try."

Yusuke removed his hand and moved aside, allowing Kuwabara to step in.

The taller teen moved closer and closed his eyes, before reaching out and placing his hand on the sphere. Yusuke watched in silence as his friend held a hand silently to the object, and a few moments later Kuwabara opened his eyes and took his hand away. "The Demon Power is strong. Feels like the energy is building up, like its some kinda power generator. Dunno why they put it here though."

Yusuke nodded and turned back to Botan. "Any thoughts Botan?"

The reaper walked up to them and lifted her shoulders, eyeing the sphere. "I'm not sure. They must have some bigger motive in mind, but I'm not sure what it could be... maybe Koenma will know."

Yusuke nodded again and turned to his friend. "Kuwabara, any idea where the demons are now? They still in here somewhere?"

Kuwabara shook his head. "Nah, the whole place is empty. They left some time ago. Just dropped this thing here and scrammed."

Botan tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm, how unusual… they _must_ be plotting something."

Yusuke folded his arms. "Well this sucks, I was looking forward to kicking some demon ass."

Botan smirked. "Don't worry Yusuke, I'm sure there'll be plenty of demons for you to beat up soon. In the meantime, I'll bring this evidence to Koenma, we'll see if he has any light to shed on what's happening."

Kuwabara nodded. "And what about us?"

"You two can just carry on with your normal lives until I get any new information."

Yusuke sighed and rolled his eyes. "Ugh, more school…"

Botan grinned and tilted her head. "But I thought you wanted a break from Spirit work?"

The Spirit Detective looked off to the side and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I'm impatient. When I start a case, I wanna finish it."

The reaper smiled. "Well you'll just have to learn to be patient Yusuke. I'll bring new information soon, I promise." She then turned and began to head back toward the door. "As I said, I must consult Koenma immediately." She stopped and looked to them from over her shoulder. "But first, let's get you two home."

* * *

 **Boom, two chapters in one day! I spent a lotta time scrutinising this chapter for some reason, but I think it turned out okay. I've laid out the basic groundwork for the rest of the case here, but most of the important info will come out in the next chapter.**

 **Also, next chapter is when hints of things between Yusuke and Botan will arise ;3**


	3. Yusuke The Pervert

**Chapter 3 – Yusuke the Pervert**

Another boring school day had passed since Yusuke and Kuwabara's trip to the factory, and the afternoon sky bathed the city in a warm glow. Yusuke was stood outside his apartment door, leaning over the balcony as he sucked on a lollipop. He sighed quietly and brushed a small bug off a sleeve of his baggy green sweater.

"Yusuke!"

He turned, spotting a familiar blue haired girl walking toward him from the other side of the balcony. She was dressed in a knitted purple sweater, with small denim shorts and bright pink sneakers. The Spirit Detective felt his stomach twist a little as he saw the girl. He'd always liked the way she dressed, but today she was looking especially good.

"Hey Botan." He took the lollipop out of his mouth. "You look cute."

She smiled with a blush, tugging at the sleeves of her sweater as she stopped in front of him. "Thank you my dear. I have news from Koenma about your case."

Yusuke tilted his head. "Oh yeah?"

She nodded. "Mhm!" She stepped over to the balcony wall beside him, leaning against it like he was, and peering off to a single fluffy cloud. "Turns out Kuwabara was right, that big sphere thingy was a Demon Power Generator. According to Koenma they have been seen in the human world before, many years ago. From what I'm told, they're needed for some kind of scheme."

Yusuke nodded. "…Which is?"

Botan glanced down from the sky to the street below. "The plan has no known name, but it was attempted nearly a century ago, by an anonymous powerful Demon in the Demon World. The idea is to set up five of those Generators in an area of around 100 miles. Once all are set up and activated, they will fire hugely powerful beams of Demon Power up into the sky, that will conjoin and create a 'Mega Beam'. The Mega Beam will tear through this dimension and into the Demon World, burning through the Kekkai Barrier and creating a huge passageway, free to be used by demons of all classes."

Yusuke nodded slowly and looked off at the sky. "Shit…"

"Koenma sent out a team to destroy the Generator we found last night, but it appears another has already been set up. Your next job is to head out and destroy the others, before the demons even realize that their plan has been sabotaged."

Yusuke grinned and turned to Botan. "Sounds easy enough. Did pacifier breath tell you where the next generator is?"

Botan nodded. "Yep. But it took a lot of effort to find it. It's not easy for him to detect such small energy spikes while he's so far away in Spirit World. It'd be best for us to use our own equipment to find our way accurately. The next Generator is in a building site, in a town not too far from here. We'll head there as soon as you're ready. But keep in mind Yusuke, this is no small case. We'll be on the move for at least a week, so you'll have to pack some clothes together and say goodbye to your mother!"

Yusuke smirked. "Well, if it gets me extra time off school, I aint complaining!"

* * *

A few shirts were thrown into an open black bag, and Yusuke zipped it up. "Should be enough." He picked up the bag which was filled with clothes, before heading out of his room to the front door.

His mother was stood at the open doorway with Botan. "Do you really have to go this week Yusuke? You have a dentist appointment on Thursday."

Yusuke shrugged. "Sorry mom, but the school can't just change the dates of its educational trips."

She sighed and shook her head. "Alright, just… be good, okay?"

"I will, don't worry."

Botan smiled. "Don't worry Miss Urameshi, I'll make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble!"

Atsuko chuckled. "Thank you Botan, it's good to know not _all_ of Yusuke's friends are as irresponsible as he is." She then turned to her son and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Have fun honey." She leant forward and kissed his head.

The Spirit Detective frowned and moved his head back. "Yeah yeah, sure mom. I'll see you when I get back." He turned and headed out the door, followed by Botan.

His mother then grabbed a green jacket off a hook and called out to her son. "Yusuke!"

He looked back to her from over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

She threw the jacket at him, which he caught swiftly. "I don't want you getting a chill!"

He snorted and grinned, nodding at her. "Thanks mom. Don't miss me too much."

"I'll bring him home safe!" Botan winked playfully.

Atsuko chuckled and nodded. "Thank you Botan. Have fun!"

"We will!" Botan waved as they began to head down to the far end of the balcony. Atsuko waved back to them as they walked away, before quietly closing the door.

"Your mother is sweet." Botan smiled at Yusuke.

"Psh. She's overprotective."

"That's a good thing!" Botan patted Yusuke's arm, before glancing down at her watch. "We still have plenty of time. We'll head to the train station, see if Kuwabara's there already."

Yusuke snorted. "Tonight? Yeah right, his favourite show is on. Get ready for a long wait..."

* * *

Yusuke sighed heavily and shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. "What did I tell ya' Botan?"

Botan looked to him with a sigh and shrugged. "Where on earth is he?"

The duo were stood at the local train station, waiting for Kuwabara to meet them. Yusuke had called Kuwabara and told him about the case soon after Botan's arrival, and they had organized to meet with him at five o' clock. It was now half five, and he was yet to turn up.

"Urameshi, Botan!"

The two blinked, looking over to see Kuwabara running up to them from the platform entrance, with a large bag clasped in his right hand. He forced himself to halt once he reached them, placing a hand on his hip as he regained his breath.

"You took your sweet ass time." Yusuke nodded toward him.

"Sorry, my favourite show was on TV. I _had_ to watch the season finale!"

Yusuke sent a glance toward Botan. "Told ya'."

She smiled and shook her head, picking up her backpack. "You got here in time, so it's okay. The train should arrive any minute now."

Yusuke swung his bag over his shoulder. "Let's just hope it wasn't the train driver's favourite show too."

* * *

Yusuke stepped onto the train after Botan, glancing around at the seats. It was decently a spacious train, the seats didn't look comfortable, but there were plenty to spare. Only about four other people were on the train, not one glancing up at them as they entered.

Kuwabara seated himself on one of the closest seats to the door, kicking his legs out and dumping his bag on the seat beside him. Yusuke thought the seats looked far from desirable, so decided to stay standing, leaning back against the wall opposite Kuwabara.

The front doors closed with a soft whoosh and the train began to move out from the platform. Yusuke reached up to take hold of the overhead bar, before glancing back down the end of the train. He noticed Botan peering down beneath the seats on his side, as if she was searching for something. She then reached under a seat to something. Yusuke glanced down, spotting a colourful magazine that had presumably fallen down the side. Botan had always been so curious like that. He had to admit, he found it kind of cute, though he'd be damned if she ever found that out. Yusuke continued to watch her mindlessly, until she moved to bend over slightly, and his eyes were instantly drawn to her rear end. He felt his heart skip and his cheeks flush as his eyes made contact with the back of her denim shorts, suddenly realising what he was doing. Though he didn't remove his gaze. He couldn't. His eyes were glued.

"Ahem..."

He flinched suddenly, feeling his heart jump as he shot his gaze over to the source of the sound. It was Kuwabara, smirking deviously at him from across the train. Yusuke felt his stomach drop and his face grow hotter. "What the hell are you lookin' at...?"

Kuwabara snorted and folded his arms. "You're a freakin' pervert."

The Detective exhaled sharply. "Dunno what you're talkin' about..." But there was no denying it. Kuwabara had seen him blatantly staring at Botan's butt, he couldn't talk himself out of this one. He could feel Kuwabara smirking at him from across the train, and he suppressed a pang of anger that welled in his chest, sparing another quick glance to Botan. She'd now settled into her seat with the magazine she'd fetched in her hands. Some typical fashion magazine.

Yusuke looked down at his shoes, cursing under his breath. "I need to calm the hell down..."

* * *

 **The stage is set, and now we're gettin to the real meaty stuff!**

 **This story is damn fun to write, I'll be sure to post up the next chapter soon!**


	4. The Building Site

**Chapter 4 – The Building Site**

"So, I guess this is it."

Yusuke looked over the sight before them. He, Botan, and Kuwabara were stood at the entrance to a wide building site. Tall steel sheets were set up around the site to keep it separated from the rest of the city, and a few large work vehicles stood static among mounds of orange sand and piles of steels. The base of a large scaffolding frame dominated most of the building site, soon to be a new multi-storey car park. All the workers had left, and the site was left an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of distant traffic and a light summer breeze.

Botan looked down at her wrist. "According to my Demon Compass, the generator should be located somewhere at the back of site." She tapped the compass with a fingernail and looked back up.

"Come on then, let's get this over with." Yusuke began to lead them onward, kicking up some orange sand as he did so.

* * *

"We must get this done, or the master will be angry!"

"Ugh, be quiet! We'll get it done, don't worry. I just need to take a break…"

A couple of obnoxious croaky voices could be heard nearby as Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan made their way to the back of the building site. They pressed up against the back of a small worker's trailer, before peeking round the corner. They spied a familiar black sphere about thirty feet ahead of them, and stood either side it were two grotesque creatures. The tallest one, which looked like some kind of hairless werewolf, had his long hands on the sphere, shocks of red energy sparking from his body. The other creature was short and fat, with green scaly skin and a fishlike face, and was staring mindlessly at the sky.

"Ugh!" Botan quietly sounded her disgust, careful not to alarm the creatures. "Why are some demons so ugly?"

Yusuke smirked at her, clenching his hands into fists. The beasts' weak energy was easily sensed, they hardly posed a threat. "Don't worry, we'll put 'em outta their misery..." He clicked his neck from side to side, before rounding the corner and confidently walking towards them. "Hey, scabfaces!"

The two demons gasped, turning to Yusuke with wide eyes. The shorter one pointed at him with a webbed hand. "Agh! I-It's The Spirit Detective!"

Yusuke raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, guess I don't need to introduce myself. In that case, let's get straight to the ass kicking."

The fatter demon turned and began to run away, wailing madly in fear. Most demons knew well of Yusuke's power, this wasn't the first time a D class had reacted with such cowardice. Yusuke snorted, raising his right hand, index finger stretched out and pointed at the creature. Suddenly the tip of his finger lit up with a blue aura, which suddenly grew into a glowing orb the size of a football. Without warning it fired from his finger, sailing towards the running demon at lightning speed and smashing into the back of his head. The creature's cranium exploded into a shower of red blood, and his decapitated body fell limply to the dusty floor.

Botan grimaced at the sight of the demon's gory end, and even Kuwabara winced a little.

Unfazed, the Spirit Detective then directed his hand over to the lanky wolf demon, smoke trailing from the tip of his finger. "I can cook up shots the size of a house. You wanna see?"

The demon swallowed hard, eyeing Yusuke's finger. He too knew of the Spirit Detective's power, and having just watched his ally's head get blown off proved the rumours of his brutal capabilities. The demon sighed heavily, before removing his hands from the generator, knowing he was beaten. "I feared you'd show up... you have me beat human..." The creature hung its head in shame. "I've used up most of my power fuelling the Generator, fighting would be futile... just kill me. I would much rather be slain by _your_ hand than be found a failure by my master. The torture would be far worse than anything your mind can comprehend."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. This was the first time a Demon had ever offered itself up to be killed. Most would try to fight, even if they knew they had no chance. "Oh yeah? ...Maybe I'm not here to kill you. Maybe I'll just destroy the Generator." This perked his curiosity, he wanted to see how adamant this Demon really was about dying.

The demon's eyes widened suddenly, and he held his lanky arms out in front of him. "N-No! I've been given orders to protect the Generator with my life. If I failed to follow my orders... Just kill me, please! Anything but facing his wrath!"

Yusuke tilted his head. "Huh… Fine. But before I kill ya, tell me who _he_ is."

The demon rubbed his long paws together, its gruff voice turning timid. "He is my master, the one who devised and controls this operation. If he ever found out that I had allowed the Spirit Detective to sabotage the plan, he would unleash his fury upon me. And trust me human, I can think of a million painful deaths I'd rather endure."

Kuwabara stepped forward, a clenched hand held out in front of him. "And what's this asshole's name?"

The demon growled and slowly shook his head. "I've sworn to never reveal information about my master, even under torture."

Yusuke frowned and folded his arms. "Well we can torture pretty good. So why don't you make things easier for yourself, and tell us the big shot's name?"

The demon snarled in irritation. "Don't waste your breath, Detective. My lips are sealed." He then fell to his knees and lowered his head. "Just get it over with..."

Yusuke gritted his teeth. For a lower class demon, this one was surprisingly loyal and hard-headed. In desperate situations, even the most grotesque demons could portray almost human qualities. Though this was peculiar. He'd never seen a Demon so determined to die. "Fine." Yusuke growled. "I'm sick of your voice anyways..."

He slowly walked over to the kneeling demon and reached his hand out, pointing his finger at the back of the creature's head. At this range, even the weakest of shots would mean an instant kill. Something made him hesitate, and he stared at the back of the demon's head with glassy eyes. The more he thought about the situation the more it confused him. Something about this didn't seem right. Though he pushed aside his thoughts and focused back to summoning his Spirit Energy. Without bothering to fully charge the attack he fired a small blast of blue energy from his index finger, puncturing straight through the demon's skull with a sharp crack, causing purple blood to spray out onto the sand below. The beast's lanky body slumped forward, creating a cloud of orange dust. Yusuke lowered his hand and turned back to Kuwabara. "You can take the Generator."

Kuwabara nodded and headed over to the black sphere. He held his right hand out from his body and a long orange energy sword formed in his grasp, crackling with Spirit Energy. He held the sword high above his head and swung it down through the generator, easily slicing it in half. The two halves of the sphere fell to the sides, and angry bolts of red Demon Energy flashed out from inside. Kuwabara quickly stepped back, just as the sparks fizzled out to a cloud of black smoke. He nodded, satisfied with his work, before releasing his grasp on the sword, allowing it to disappear into thin air.

Botan walked over to them, eyeing the destroyed generator. "Well, if that's not broken, I don't know what is!" A small smile touched her lips and she placed her hands on her hips. "Good work boys! Keep this up, and we'll be done by the weekend!"

Yusuke glanced at her momentarily, before looking across at the orange sky, his gaze distant. His mind throbbed with conflicted thought. He almost felt bad about killing that Demon, it had seemed so helpless. And the fear in its eyes when it spoke of its 'master' gave him chills...

"...Are you okay, my dear?" A sweet feminine voice pulled him from his thought, and looked to Botan, who was gazing at him with large concerned eyes.

"I'm good." He cleared his throat quietly, moving his hands into his pockets.

Kuwabara also had a concerned look, but he quickly smiled and nudged the other boy's arm. "I bet he's just hungry!"

Yusuke smirked and nodded. "Hell yeah, I'm starved."

Botan smiled. "Alright, we can stop off at a diner. We'll check ourselves into a hotel once we've eaten. That sound good?"

Kuwabara chuckled. "Hell yeah! It's like bein' on holiday!"

* * *

After clearing out the building site, the trio found themselves a nice diner to satiate their hunger, before checking themselves into a local hotel. It didn't seem like the most expensive or homely place, but it was affordable.

The group walked down a long corridor, looking for their room. The walls were an ugly pastel pink colour, and tropical plants lined the hall beside every door. It had the tacky appearance of a run down resort.

Botan came to a halt, looking over the door to room 58. "This is it." She unlocked the door with a key, before opening it and stepping inside. Yusuke and Kuwabara followed in after her, looking around at the room within. "This isn't too bad." Botan smiled and turned to her companions.

Yusuke shrugged, taking off his green jacket. "Yeah, not too shabby." He threw his bag over onto a small couch.

Kuwabara kicked the door shut, dropping his own large bag on the floor. "So, who's sleepin' where?"

Yusuke turned to him, pointing back at the couch. "I'll take the couch."

Kuwabara nodded. "I don't mind takin' the floor. You can have the bed Botan."

Botan blinked, waving her hand at him. "Oh Kuwabara! I feel bad taking up the whole bed! Maybe you two boys should take it, after all, you've done all the hard work."

"Don't worry about it babe" Yusuke stretched his arms out above his head, creating a satisfying clicking sound up his spine. "'Sides, Kuwabara's fat ass would just take up the whole bed anyways."

Kuwabara growled as Yusuke smirked at him, collapsing back on the couch.

"Oh, I feel so loved!" Botan giggled, placing her backpack on the bed, "Good work today boys! I'm very proud of you two. With you hard at work, we're sure to get this case finished in no time!"

Yusuke began unlacing his sneakers, glancing over to the bluenette. "You know it. Me and Kuwabara could nail this case blindfolded."

Kuwabara nodded with a smirk. "Damn straight."

Botan tutted at them, before making her way over to the small kitchen work-surface at the back of the room. "Now, I'll make some coffee!"

Yusuke watched as Botan filled up the electric kettle from the tap and turned it on to boil, before looking back down to his bag and rummaging inside for a pack of candy.

Kuwabara moved over and sat himself on the couch beside Yusuke, tapping at his arm with a TV remote.

Yusuke looked to his friend as the redhead turned on the small TV. "Yeah?"

Kuwbara smirked, glancing at Yusuke from the corner of his eye and whispering. "Sure you don't wanna share the bed with Botan?"

Yusuke blinked, his face turning a little hot as he snorted. "Ha ha, hilarious."

Kuwabara shrugged and looked back to the TV. "Just don't try to steal a peek when she changes into her PJ's, you perv."

Yusuke growled and rolled his eyes, grabbing the pack of candy from the bottom of his bag and pulling it out. Kuwabara was never going to let him live this one down.

* * *

 **Ayy, another chapter done!**

 **I just wanna thank you guys for the positive feedback I've had so far, I'm real happy you guys are likin this story! I'll be sure to keep it regularly updated for you all.**


	5. The Fox Demon

**Chapter 5 – The Fox Demon**

 _Beep beep._

Yusuke flinched slightly, scrunching his eyes closed tighter as he moved onto his side.

 _Beep beep._

"Gah..." He grunted and pushed his head against the back of the couch, trying to block out the annoying sound.

 _Beep beep._

The Spirit Detective growled and propped himself up with an elbow, forcing his heavy eyelids open as he glanced around the room. The curtains had been drawn, bathing the room in a deep blue light from the window, so his tired eyes didn't have to adjust to any bright sunlight. He glanced across to a cheap clock above the doorway. Forty minutes past five.

 _Beep beep._

He rubbed his eyes sluggishly and surveyed the dim room again. Kuwabara was under a mess of sheets on the ground, and Botan was in the only bed, her back facing him.

 _Beep beep._

"Ugh. Who brought the alarm clock?" He groaned, only half awake.

A few moments of silence ensued, when Kuwabara blew air from his lips and turned onto his side. "Don't look at me... I need more sleep, my head is killing me."

Yusuke glanced back to Botan. "Turn that shit off Botan."

Botan stirred a little under the comfy sheets of the bed, moving her head in Yusuke's direction. "Mm...?"

 _Beep beep._

She suddenly shot up into a sitting position, long blue cowlicks streaking off from her head.

Yusuke blinked at the girl's sudden awakening, and watched as she quickly moved over to the edge of the bed and searched for something down beside her pink backpack. "Yo, you see a ghost?"

Botan grinned when she found what she was looking for, sitting back up in the bed, waving the Demon Compass in Yusuke's direction. "Not a ghost. Try a Demon!" The face of the compass flashed red, in sync with the returning beeping sound.

Yusuke frowned, running a hand through his messy slicked hair. "Does that mean there's a Demon nearby?"

Botan shook her head. "The signal is too weak. I think this is telling us that the next Generator has been set up!"

Kuwabara slowly sat up from the floor with a groan, holding a hand to his forehead. "Goddamnit, that's why my head is hurting. I felt the same thing at the building site yesterday, didn't hurt this freakin' bad though!"

Botan tapped a finger to her lip. "Perhaps that means the Generator has been up for longer. When we found it yesterday the Demons had only just set it up." She threw back her duvet and got out from the bed, revealing pastel pink pyjamas with a teddy bear's head on her stomach.

"Pff, where'd you get the get-up? The preschoolers section?" Yusuke nodded toward her.

"Oh shh!" Botan brushed her fingers back through her blue hair. "Let's get ready for work boys! Thank god you woke up when you did Yusuke, good job!" Without another word she grabbed her backpack and briskly made her way into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her.

Kuwabara rubbed an eye, looking over to the bathroom door, then to Yusuke. "I thought she was in a rush? You know what girls are like, we'll be waiting for an hour."

Suddenly a muffled bang responded from the door. "I heard that!"

* * *

"Do ya even know where you're taking us Botan? We musta been half way around the world by now." Yusuke chewed loudly on a croissant, crumbs spilling from his mouth.

Botan frowned, continuing to stare at her compass. "Oh be patient Yusuke, we're almost there." The signal on the Demon Compass had been very weak at first, so they started the day with a long trek. The signal forced them to take a taxi out of town, and led them away to another much smaller town out in a rural area. After making a stop to get some breakfast, they were now out on-foot again, tracking the signal down a dark cobbled alleyway, between two solid walls of run-down buildings.

Botan gasped quietly, tapping at the compass with her nail. Instead of flashing it was now fully lit and beeping non stop, indicating that they had reached their destination. The needle pointed ahead, and Botan looked up, nodding to the building in front of them. "In there!"

A skinny crooked pawnshop was ahead of them, squashed tightly between two taller buildings. The entire alleyway was shadowy, but the interior of the store appeared pure black, nothing could be seen through the windows from outside.

Yusuke frowned and swallowed the last of his breakfast, eyeing the store. "A shady old shop down a creepy lil alleyway? Seems kinda cliché."

Botan switched off the compass to silence it, and looked over the small shop. "Can't say it looks very homely."

Kuwabara winced and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can we just hurry it up guys! Feels like some asshole is usin' my skull as a drumkit! Let's just break the freakin' thing!"

Yusuke nodded with a smug grin. "Alright, we'll get it over with. Kuwabara, the human bloodhound..." He received an irritated frown from Kuwabara, before leading them up to the wooden door. The teen clicked his neck from side to side, and took hold of the brass door handle, turning it confidently. It made an approving click sound, and he was easily able to push the door open, flooding the interior with dim light. "Huh... Is it just me, or do these Demons have every damn key in existence?" He stepped inside and examined the shady room. The lightbulb was broken, and there was furniture destroyed and strewn all over the room. Glass cases were smashed, their contents littered on the floor, and deep scratch marks graced the dark green walls.

Botan stepped in, blinking as she examined the carnage. "What on earth happened in here?"

Yusuke snorted. "That's what I wanna know. I mean, who the hell chose _that_ wallpaper?"

Kuwabara stepped into the store and walked over to a broken desk. He examined it for a second and then glanced around the rest of the room. He stood silent for a moment, before pointing over to a shadowy corner. "The Generator's through there." He walked across the room to the shadows and pulled open a wooden door, revealing a set of carpeted stairs leading up. He looked back over his shoulder and nodded at the others. "Come on guys, up here."

Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck as he and Botan headed over to join the taller teen. "I didn't even see that door."

Kuwabara smirked. "Gotta learn to look for shit." He headed through the door and up the stairs, Yusuke and Botan following on after him.

"Psh, that's easy for you to say, you're Kuwabara, the human bloodhou-"

 **CRACK!**

They all flinched in unison, stopping in their tracks on the stairway as a sharp cracking sound shot through the shop.

Kuwabara frowned, holding a hand to his forehead. "My headache's gone..." He stood motionless for a while, before looking back up and charging to the top of the stairs to another wooden door. He gritted his teeth, not halting his charge, before kicking the door open and jumping inside, his Spirit Sword appearing in hand. Yusuke was quick to jump out beside him, his index finger out and hand levelled at arm's length, ready for action. Botan stepped out behind them, peering over the Spirit Detective's shoulder. Her eyes suddenly widened at the sight before her, a loud gasp escaping her lips.

The dark room was full of limbs. Demon's limbs, dismembered and strewn across the blood splattered floor. And at the back of the room was the Demon Generator, split straight in half.

"O-Oh my..." The reaper gasped quietly, feeling her stomach somersault.

Yusuke growled, a dark glare forming on his face. "What the hell? Someone beat us to it!"

Kuwabara frowned, examining the room cautiously. "I still feel Demon Energy..."

Suddenly the soft sound of footsteps could be heard, walking towards them from the shadows at the back of the room.

"Hey! Who's there?" Yusuke snarled. "Get out here now before I kick your ass!"

Slowly, a human figure formed in the darkness, and a young man stepped out. He was dressed in a brown leather jacket and clean white suit pants, with long red hair that flowed far below his shoulders and gently framed his pale face. He had soft delicate facial features, and large emerald eyes that glistened warmly. A small smile touched his lips, and he spoke softly. "Hello friends. What a pleasant surprise."

Botan gasped, and Yusuke's eyes widened, a large confused grin suddenly spanning his lips as the young man's face clicked instantly in his mind. "Kurama! What the hell are _you_ doin' here!?"

Kurama looked down at the mess of limbs with an unwavering expression, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. "Oh, I just dropped by to pay some tourists a visit."

Yusuke smirked and folded his arms behind his head. "So you know about the Demons' plan?"

Kurama nodded. "Indeed. I could sense a peculiar surge in the local Demon energy, I instantly recognised it. This plan has been attempted before, many decades ago."

Botan stepped forward, taking hold of Yusuke's arm. "That's right. But luckily, King Yama managed to thwart their plan back then. And now, years later, Yusuke will do the same!"

Yusuke nodded, and pulled an over-the-top attempt at a model's face. "Yeah, but I'm gonna do it with _style_."

As they chuckled to each other quietly, Kuwabara stepped towards Kurama, his expression serious. "Hey Kurama, any idea who's calling the shots in this plan?"

Kurama shook his head. "I'm afraid not. The Demon conducting this operation is as anonymous as he was all those years ago. We heard tales of him in Demon World, though nothing more than rumours of his class. But I think it's safe to assume that he's very powerful, very clever, and very determined. Their actions seem sloppy, but I sense fear in these lower class Demons. I feel the worst is to come."

Kuwabara nodded. "We've noticed it too. I'm thinkin' we better prepare for some real shit..."

Kurama smiled, placing a slender hand on his friend's shoulder. "Though, if King Yama managed to stop him back then, it should be no trouble for us. We've defeated enough powerful adversaries in the past to give me good faith in our abilities."

Kuwabara grinned a little, nodding with determination. "Damn right. We're gonna kick this guy's ass when we find him."

* * *

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Botan, and Kurama walked out from the pawnshop, and back into the dark seedy alleyway.

Yusuke shoved his hands into his pockets and kicked a rock down the dirty road. "So, what now? We off to search for the _next_ generator?"

Botan shrugged. "Well, we'll have to wait for it to be set up first I assume. But it could take us a while. The next Generator could be anywhere, and this last Generator only just managed to reach my Demon Compass' range. I'm worried the next will be too far to be picked up. Maybe we should wait until Koenma's power regains so we can get a lead from him?"

Kurama tilted his head and smiled. "I wouldn't worry about that. It just happens that I have already devised a way to locate the next Generators."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow and looked back at the fox Demon. "Huh? Why didn't ya' say so!"

"You have?" Botan perked her slender eyebrows.

Kurama hummed in humour and nodded. "Indeed. I've rented a nearby apartment. I have everything set up inside, I'll show you."

* * *

"What's this, your geography homework?" Yusuke scratched his head as he and the others gathered around a coffee table, littered with maps and heavily noted graph paper. They were now in Kurama's apartment, and the fox Demon was about to show them his supposed plan of how to find the next Generator.

Kurama chuckled softly, and pulled a large map into the middle of the table. "Not exactly. This is a map of the surrounding 100 miles. As you can see, we are here." He pointed to a small gray block on the map that represented the town they were in. "After I felt the energy surge, I started some research. If the Demons' plan is the same as last time, the five Generators will be set up in the precise shape of a pentagon. Now, the first Generator was in your home city. I'm guessing it was you three who dispatched of it…" He moved his hand across to where their home city was marked and pointed to a small stick-on label, placed directly where the old factory was. "Then the second was here, at a building site. And the one I destroyed today, was here…" He moved his hand across the first town they'd been to, and then the one they were in now, pointing out two other labels. "Now, I said that the pattern works in the shape of a pentagon," He pulled out a large piece of tracing paper, which had the shape of a pentagon drawn on it. He placed it over the map, and lined it up so that three of the shape's points were directly on top of the three labels. "So, as you can see, if I'm correct in assuming that the pattern works as such, the last two Generators will be in these locations."

Botan blinked, tapping her chin as she examined the map. "Wow! You managed to figure this out by yourself Kurama?"

Yusuke grinned and looked up at Kurama. "Of course he did, the sly bastard." He then stepped back and stretched his arms out in front of him. "Looks like we've got no time to waste. How about we go destroy the next oversized marble?"

Kurama waved a slender finger at the Detective. "Be patient Yusuke, aren't you forgetting something?"

Yusuke raised an eyebrow, but then let out an irritated grunt. "Oh, yeah, of course. It aint even freakin' up yet..."

The kitsune nodded. "That's right. If it had been, I would recognise the shift in the local energy. Kuwabara would feel it too, no doubt. He may not recognise the sensation, but his awareness is especially sharp. For now, we have the upperhand."

Yusuke sighed and began snapping his fingers impatiently. "I hate waitin' for shit."

A small smile touched Kurama's lips. "Don't worry, I doubt we'll have to wait long. The Demons are working at an alarmingly fast rate. So far, a new Generator has been set up per day. It seems that for some reason they are desperate to get it done. Unfortunately for them, by trying to finish it as fast as possible, they have sacrificed any sort of decent defence plan, making them extremely vulnerable."

Yusuke snorted. "Or maybe they're just stupid."

Kurama chuckled softly. "Maybe."

Kuwabara scratched his head, still silently examining the maps. Though he wasn't really sure what he was looking at. He shook his head and turned to Kurama, confused by the lists of endless equations Kurama had noted on paper. "...So what are we gonna do while we wait?"

Kurama spread his arms out slightly. "You can relax here. I have plenty of food, and there are more than enough beds for all of us if our waiting runs into the night."

Botan smiled. "Oh thank you Kurama!"

Kurama smiled and nodded. "You're more than welcome. If we work together, we'll be able to finish this much faster."

Yusuke yawned and collapsed back into a couch, stretching his legs out in front of him. "Well, we got time to kill… Anyone got any cards?"

Kuwabara turned to Yusuke, grinning widely. "My time to shine!" He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a pack of standard playing cards.

Yusuke blinked. "Well damn. Ten points for being prepared."

Kuwabara chuckled and sat down onto a second couch, removing the elastic band binding the cards, and began shuffling them. "You never know when you're gonna be sat on your ass for hours, that's why I always come prepared with a pack of these babies." He turned to Kurama, still shuffling the cards. "You wanna play too Kurama?"

The red-haired Demon shrugged with a small smile. "Why not, I do enjoy an occasional game of cards." He seated himself beside Kuwabara.

Botan smiled and sat down next to Yusuke. "Count me in too!"

* * *

 **Did I forget to mention I'd be bringin Kurama into the mix? ;3 I'm actually gonna bring _another_ old favourite into the story in the next chapter. I'm sure it won't be too hard for you guys to figure out who that will be... ahem.**

 **I'm sorry there hasn't been much action so far, I'll definitely add some fighting into the next chapter. I also have a tooon of action (and gore) in store for you guys in later chapters, so be ready for that. Keep those awesome reviews comin in guys! They really mean so much to me and give me a huge drive to keep writin ^ ^**


	6. The Swordsman

**Chapter 6 – The Swordsman**

Yusuke yawned loudly, wincing as he stretched his arms over his head. He lifted his eyelids and took to staring at the white ceiling above him. The group had spent the night at Kurama's apartment, still awaiting the fox Demon or Kuwabara to sense the next generator. Yusuke had hoped that they would be able to find it the same day as the last, but after hours of waiting to no result, the group had decided to get some sleep.

The Spirit Detective pulled back his duvet and sat up, shifting his legs out of the bed and standing. He stretched his back and yawned again, scratching his chest, before leaning down to pick up a pair of jeans off the floor and slipping them on. He then grabbed his black bag from the end of the bed and opened it. He pulled out a pair of green socks which he pulled on, followed by a baggy shirt covered in an abstract red and black design. He pulled the shirt on and began to button it up, looking into a mirror. His hair had become rather messy in the night, so he pulled a comb out of his pocket and quickly combed it back into shape, pulling a can of hairspray from his bag to keep it in place. Once satisfied he shoved the comb in his back pocket, before finishing the button job up to his chest. He then rolled the short sleeves to his biceps and tucked the bottom into his jeans, before heading over to the door and opening it, stepping into the living room.

Kuwabara, Botan, and Kurama were already up, and stood in the living room around the coffee table.

"Hey guys." Yusuke nodded to his friends.

Botan blinked and turned to him, smiling sweetly. "Good morning Yusuke! We have good news!"

He tilted his head slightly. "Oh yeah?"

Kurama turned to him and nodded. "Indeed. It seems while we were asleep, the Demons managed to set up the next generator. Kuwabara and I can feel it clearly."

Yusuke walked over to the group and folded his arms. "Well it's about time!"

Kurama motioned down to the coffee table. The large map was still laid out on the table, with the pentagon lying on top. He pointed delicately to the top point of the pentagon, which was situated in a large green blotch, representing a forest. "It's in Setsuna Forest, near the south. It's not far from here, we can take a bus."

Yusuke nodded firmly. "Awesome. Come on then, let's get this show on the road."

Kuwabara blinked, watching as they all went to gather the things they needed. "Guys, wait! What about breakfast!?"

Yusuke smirked. "We'll get somethin' on the way, fatso."

Kuwabara grinned suddenly, making his way over to the others. "Nice!" He began to chuckle, rubbing his hands together. "I want coffee and donuts!"

* * *

"Mmm… my god… mm! Damn these are good…"

Yusuke sighed, turning to Kuwabara with a raised eyebrow. "Thanks Kuwabara, but I really don't need a running commentary while you eat."

Kuwabara chuckled, pieces of donut falling from his mouth. "Sorry. These donuts are just so good!"

The Spirit Detective rolled his eyes. For fifteen minutes the group had been on a small bus to Setsuna Forest, with Kuwabara's constant chewing and rambling. It was getting on his nerves. He turned back to Botan, who was sat on the seat net to him. She was gazing intently out the window, her large rose eyes glowing in the sunlight. "Don't tell me you actually _like_ the wilderness."

Botan blinked and turned to him, smiling a little. "Of course! Don't you?"

Yusuke snorted and looked out the window. "Nah. Ain't enough arcades for my liking."

"Tsh!" She shook her head. "You should get outside more Yusuke, there's so much beautiful countryside at your doorstep!"

"Yeah right. How are bugs and mud beautiful?"

The girl waved a finger at him. "Tut tut. The Spirit Detective must appreciate the world that he works so hard to protect."

Yusuke snorted. "Screw that. It's not like I wanted the damn job."

Botan smirked, reaching out to tap his nose. "Well you've got it. So deal with it!"

Yusuke blinked, feeling his cheeks warm a little at the unexpected contact. He frowned at her and opened his mouth to speak. But before he could say a word, the bus began to come to a halt, and Kurama stepped up next to him. "This is our stop."

Yusuke turned to him, nodding. The door to the bus opened, and Kurama led the group out. Being in the middle of the countryside, the stop was more like an old wooden hut at the side of the road than the modern seated bus stops Yusuke was expecting. He eyed it with a frown, glancing back at the bus as its doors closed, and it continued on down the rural road. "Were we _supposed_ to stop at this shack?"

Botan tutted and flicked his ear. "Don't be silly Yusuke. Not _all_ bus stops look the same."

Yusuke scowled, before snaking an arm around Botan's waist and poking her in the side, under her pink crop top.

She gasped suddenly, her cheeks flaring as his finger pressed into her sensitive skin. "Yusuke!" She frowned, slapping his shoulder.

"Pah!" The boy grinned to himself, just as Kurama walked past the stop and down a small grassy hill, towards a lush forest ahead.

Kuwabara followed after him, peering back to Yusuke and Botan with a coy smirk. "Stop messin' around lovebirds, let's go!"

Yusuke exhaled sharply and began to head down after the group alongside the reaper. Botan frowned at Yusuke as they made their way down the hill, her cheeks still stained with red. "Y-You caught me off guard…"

Yusuke gazed at her from the corner of his eye, a grin touching his lips. "Nah. You just _love_ it when I touch you."

She gasped and smacked his arm again, her cheeks turning darker. "O-Oh shut up Yusuke!"

Yusuke smirked smugly to himself and turned back ahead, just as they reached the bottom of the hill and the edge of the forest. Kurama led them into its shady confines, his expression calm and curious as he admired the beautiful lush trees and shrubbery around them. Kuwabara picked up the pace slightly, catching up to the fox Demon. "Hey Kurama, you feel that? We're gettin' close."

Kurama nodded slowly, glancing back at the teenager. "We are. I feel it dead ahead. The signal is getting stronger with every step."

Kuwabara glanced back to Yusuke and Botan, snorting quietly as he looked ahead. "The sooner we fight the better. I think Yusuke needs somethin' to take his mind off his hormones."

Kurama chuckled softly at the boy's statement, opening his mouth to speak back. But suddenly he was struck by something. Something invisible, that pounded in his cranium. The unmistakable pang of Demon Energy. He stopped dead in his tracks, his emerald eyes narrowing fiercely. Kuwabara felt it too, as he too came to a stop, looking around with a sharp glare.

" _FUCK!"_ A sudden muffled yelp called out behind them.

Kuwabara quickly turned, to see Yusuke stumble back, his hand held firmly over his nose. He'd walked straight into Botan's back. The reaper turned back to him with flushed cheeks, holding a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry!"

He frowned as the bluenette stepped forward to push his hand aside and examine his nose. She began prodding at his nose gently, and he glanced across to Kurama "What's the hold up here? You almost cost me a broken nose!"

Kurama didn't turn back. He simply held his hand out to the side, index finger pointed upwards, motioning for him to be quiet.

Yusuke blinked, looking around at the surrounding foliage in confusion. The forest had fallen eerily quiet, not even the songbirds or insects made a sound.

Kurama's eyes darted back and forth, speedily trying to seek out a fixed location of the nearby energy. After a few seconds of constantly moving, the energy source suddenly stopped. A corner of the kitsune's lips perked, as his eyes slowly directed to his left. Without warning he flicked his left arm out like lightning, his rose whip suddenly appearing in hand as it cracked out into a treetop. He then pulled the weapon back as fast as he had unleashed it, his eyes still focused in the same direction. All fell silent once more, when a large purple shape suddenly fell out from the tree, landing on the grassy floor with a dull thump.

Kuwabara flinched, leaning backward as he examined the object. "Woah..." It took him a moment to realise what it even was. But once he did, his body tensed into action, hands balling into fists.

Lying on the ground, about ten feet to Kurama's left, was the decapitated corpse of a demon. Dark blood spilled out onto the grass from its neck stump, and its clawed hands twitched slightly.

Botan gasped and stepped backwards, allowing Yusuke to move in front of her, his fists clenched and right index finger pointed out, ready to unleash his Spirit Gun. He could feel heavy Demonic presences nearby.

Kuwabara glanced back at Yusuke and opened his mouth, as if to talk, but was interrupted by a sudden pained yowl carrying itself through the forest from some distance ahead. "What the..." Kuwabara and the others all looked in the direction of the sound, just as another bellowing cry was heard from the same direction. More faint sounds could be heard, though they were too far away to be properly deciphered.

 _"GET THEM!"_

Yusuke flinched as another voice, much louder and closer, shouted from behind them. He swirled round, to see a tall bug-eyed Demon stood behind the group, pointing directly at him. More Demons suddenly jumped out from the bushes around them, charging in to attack. Yusuke was quick to aim his Spirit Gun, shooting off the head of the shouting Demon, then quickly decapitating another. "Kill 'em!" He barked to his friends, firing several shots through the chest of another charging Demon.

A tiny Demon, about the size of a child, leapt up at Kuwabara with incredible speed, brandishing a thick steel needle. The redhead dodged to the side as the creature lunged in his direction, feeling the weapon graze his left cheek. With a sharp grunt he turned and activated his Spirit Sword, slicing the small Demon in half. Another larger Demon then grabbed hold of his shoulder and attempted to pull him down. But he shifted his torso and sent a sharp punch back into the beast's chest, before turning and stabbing his sword up through its throat. He pulled his sword from the corpse with a hollow crack, releasing a spray of blood as the body slumped to the ground.

" _Get off me!"_

Kuwabara looked back, to see Botan being roughly pulled back by a pair of frothy-mouthed Demons. Holding a hand to his sliced cheek he ran toward the girl, ready to slice the Demons down. But before he could reach them, Botan slipped out from their grasp, turning back to them with a fierce yell. She sent a powerful punch straight into one of the Demon's jaw, breaking it and sending the creature's unconscious body to the floor. She then brought her leg up and round to smash the other in the temple with a kick, knocking it back into the bush from where it'd had come.

Kuwabara skidded to an abrupt halt, blinking as he looked over the Demon bodies. "Damn Botan, you never told me you could fight."

The blue-haired girl looked back to Kuwabara, wiping her brow with a sharp grin. "You boys aren't the only ones who can hold your own against Demons!"

Kuwabara chuckled, taking a heavy breath as he looked over the rest of the group. Kurama had just sliced down the last remaining Demon with his whip, and began to curl it back up into his sleeve. He nodded, about to look back to Botan. "Nice and eas-" He then stopped when he noticed another shape lurking from the corner of his eye. He glanced toward Botan, just as a huge form emerged from the shadows among the trees behind her.

A large, muscular, three eyed demon, its eyes burning ruby with bloodlust.

"Watch out!" Kuwabara yelled, pointing toward the giant Demon.

Before the girl even had a chance to look back, the Demon made a sudden charge, using its muscle bound arms to propel it forwards at incredible speed. Botan's mouth opened as she looked back over her shoulder, and the creature gained in on her form with thundering footsteps. Within seconds, it was feet away, casting a huge shadow over her small frame.

 **SLAM!** Just as the beast was about to collide with her, its body was suddenly flipped up into the air with incredible speed, a sharp yelp leaving its grotesque mouth.

Botan flinched and stepped back, blinking in confusion. The action had been so fast that she hadn't even seen it. She looked around with wide eyes, wondering where the creature had suddenly gone. But before she had a chance to figure it out, the beast's limp body smashed to the ground, causing a small quake as it crushed a nearby tree flat beneath its weight. "Ahh!" She jumped back, seeing the creature's disfigured face stare at her lifelessly. Hearing a small wince from her right, she glanced over, to see Yusuke stood beside her, his fist engulfed in a glowing blue aura. She looked up to his face as the aura disappeared, and he flexed his hand, eyebrow perking a little.

"Damn!" Kuwabara hollered boisterously. "You killed him in one punch!"

Botan glanced over to Kuwabara, then back to Yusuke with a confused expression. "Huh...?"

Yusuke looked at her, smirking a little. "You're lucky my punch is so good."

The girl bit her and lip, and she quickly snatched out to take his fist in her hands. "My hero!"

" _Well isn't this... touching_."

A cold voice spoke out. It didn't belong to any of them, and it sounded as if it had come from every direction at once. Yusuke and Botan blinked in unison, and the group began to look around, searching for the source.

Kuwabara squinted angrily, a fist held out in front of him. " _Who said that!?_ "

A dark chuckle could be heard, and the redhead gritted his teeth. "Calm yourself oaf. If I'd wanted to kill you, your worthless head would be rolling around on the ground."

"Huh?" Yusuke raised an eyebrow, his stance relaxing as he looked around at the treetops suspiciously. "Wait… I know that voice."

Kuwabara blinked and turned to him. " _Eh?_ "

Kurama smiled softly, glancing back to him. "I believe he does. In fact, you _all_ do…" He looked up at treetop ahead of them, a small smile on his lips. "…Hello Hiei."

Kuwabara snapped his head round, watching as a small figure hopped out from the treetop. It was a small man, with long black hair spiked high above his head like dark flames, and a pair of crimson malicious half-moon eyes. He was dressed in a simple black robe with black leather boots, and an antique sword was holstered on his side. He folded his arms over his chest, turning to Kuwabara with a narrow glare.

"Sorry if I scared you." He smirked, his words coated with venomous sarcasm.

Kuwabara frowned and wiped some blood from his cheek with the back of his hand. "Why would I be scared of a midget like you!? You just… got me cautious is all."

Yusuke walked over to Hiei, followed by Botan. "Hiei!" He grinned. "What are you doin' here man?"

Hiei turned to him, his expression deadpan serious. "I'm here for the same reason you are. Though I finished the job before you even got here."

Botan tilted her head. "You know about the Generators?"

Hiei raised an eyebrow, and he stood silent for a moment. "…Dare I ask what you're talking about? Or will it cause a ceaseless flow of vocal garbage from your mouth."

Botan blinked. "But... I thought you said you were here for same reason we are?"

The swordsman squinted a little and turned to Kurama. "…You fools came out here for a reason _other_ than to kill these wretched beasts?" He motioned towards the Demon corpses.

Kurama nodded. "Partly, yes. Think back, many years ago, did you hear stories of a horde of lower class demons who broke into the human world, and tried to tear open the Kekkai barrier using a Mega Beam?"

Hiei snorted. "Of course I heard the rumours. I was young, though even as a juvenile I hoped that scheme would work. Too bad Yama and his lapdogs managed to kill that dream."

"Yes, well, it seems a group of Demons are attempting the same plan again. It's unsure whether the mind behind this is the same Demon as before, but that doesn't matter. We're out to dismantle the Demonic Generators before they have a chance to use them."

Hiei eyed the group patronisingly. "Well well, looks like you've got quite the little task on your hands."

Kuwabara growled and folded his arms. "Yeah yeah, cut the crap midget! Just tell us, did you see any Generators around here?"

Hiei raised an eyebrow at him. "Ever the child..."

The teen clenched his teeth hard, ready to shout at the Demon. But Yusuke stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, catching the swordsman's attention. The small demon glanced over the Detective, before replying. "...That depends. Would it happen to look like a large black ball?"

Yusuke nodded. "Yeah, a big-ass marble thing"

Hiei moved his head slightly to the side. "…Then yes, I saw one."

Kurama nodded. "Could you take us to it?"

The swordsman looked to Kurama, eyeing him for a moment in silence. He then finally let out a quiet sigh, rolling his crimson eyes. "Fine. Try to keep up." He instantly turned and headed into the thick shrubbery without another word. Kurama was quick to follow him, pushing through the bushes. Kuwabara watched him go, before turning to Yusuke and shrugging.

"Ladies first." Yusuke smirked at him and motioned towards the bush. Kuwabara frowned, just as Botan pushed her way into the bushes. "Thank you Yusuke! Such a gentleman!"

Yusuke blinked and watched as she walked past, when he was suddenly pushed in by Kuwabara. "A-Ah!" He stumbled into the bush, grabbing hold of a branch to stop himself from falling. Once stable, he began to brush leaves off his shirt, growling to himself. He heard Kuwabara chuckling, and Yusuke waited until the teen was directly behind him, before abruptly firing his elbow back into his stomach.

"OOF!" Kuwabara winced, clutching his abdomen and doubling over.

Yusuke grinned, cherishing the sweet taste of revenge. He then proceeded to push aside some large ferns, and continue forwards.

* * *

After about a minute of pushing and shoving through thick foliage, Yusuke finally stumbled out into a small clearing within the forest. He brushed leaves and twigs off his shirt and jeans, before looking up at the clearing ahead. But as soon as he did, his eyes widened and he stepped back.

There were corpses _everywhere._ Demon bodies, sliced up and scattered around on the blood drenched grass.

"O-Oh…" Botan held a hand to her mouth, cringing as her stomach flipped.

Yusuke winced a little, examining the corpses. "Shit Hiei, you really cleaned house…"

Hiei smirked and turned to Yusuke. "Not as clean as your last kill though, hm detective?"

Yusuke grinned and lifted his shoulders. "What can I say? I've got a strong right arm."

Kuwabara could be heard mumbling behind them, and he pushed out from the foliage. "Hey guys, where's the..." He looked up, suddenly stopping in his tracks. His wide eyes were fixed on the corpses, and a hand quickly moved to cover his mouth. "That's… disgusting…"

Hiei rolled his eyes, sighing quietly. "There." He pointed to the middle of the massacre. Amidst the corpses stood one of the black Generators, its smooth casing splattered with demon blood.

"Thank you, Hiei." Kurama spoke softly.

"Hn." Hiei eyed the kitsune. "Well, what now? Are you cretins just going to stare?"

Kurama glanced back to the others. "Who shall do the honours?"

Yusuke stuttered a little. "U-ugh... hell no, not in these shoes." He then glanced over to Kuwabara. "You're up big guy."

The redhead winced, looking over the corpses. "You want me to walk through _that!?_ "

"So pathetic..." Hiei hissed impatiently. With a quiet sigh he confidently headed toward the Generator, not bothering to avoid stepping on the blood and bodies below him. Once he reached the sphere he pulled his sword from its holster, and held it out to his side. In the blink of an eye the sphere split in half, red sparks and smoke spewing out from inside.

Kuwabara blinked, leaning forward and rubbing his eyes. "What the…"

Hiei sheathed his weapon and turned to him with a steely gaze. "Your eyes are too lazy."

Yusuke snorted. "Always a show off."

The swordsman then made his way back to the group, wiping his blood covered boots on the clean grass.

Kurama smiled softly, looking over the group. "There's only one more Generator to be destroyed. I'd say we're doing very well so far."

"Hmph, hardly." Hiei retorted, almost to himself.

Kurama glanced to the other demon, his smile widening. "Oh? Well, maybe you'd like to join us for the rest of our mission. Show us how it's done."

Hiei stared at him with his usual deadpan expression. "Already desperate for my help? If you're hoping that I'll join your stupid little group again, you're gravely mistaken. Deal with your own problems."

Kuwabara frowned at him. "Shut up half pint! We've saved your ass plenty of times in the past. We don't even need your help, we're doin' fine without ya'."

Hiei glanced over the teen. " _Fine_ being the optimum word."

"Oh shut up! You think you're so damn perfect at everything!"

"Must you always resort to such childish aggression? Humans are an embarrassment."

Kuwabara balled his right hand into a fist, preparing to punch the small demon. But Yusuke stepped forward just in time, holding Kuwabara back. "Hey! Cool it guys! Jeez, save the aggressive romance for later!" Hiei and Kuwabara both glared at the Spirit Detective, and Yusuke turned to face the short Demon. "Look, Hiei, I'm just gonna cut the crap. We're doin' good so far, but we don't know shit about what'll happen after we've destroyed the last Generator. You might not wanna admit it, but we make a good team. It'd be good to have you with us. But I know you're a stubborn ass, so I'm just gonna ask once. Do you wanna join us?"

Hiei stared at the boy with narrow eyes. Yusuke could be dramatic, but when things got serious, he was always straight to point. That was something even Hiei had to admit he favoured in the Detective. "Why should I?" The swordsman replied. "The fate of your species holds no significance to me. I'd just be wasting my time."

Yusuke frowned. He liked Hiei, but the demon could really get on his nerves at times. "I know you don't care what happens to humans. But if that beam bullshit _does_ happen, and the Kekkai barrier gets ripped open, there's gonna be one helluva ton of dumbass ugly Demons waltzin' into our world. They'll be everywhere. Not just in the cities, but in the wilderness too. In _your_ territory. Now I know you don't give a shit about humans, but I know damn well a buncha Demons parading around in your home like it's theirs is something you wouldn't like. And if you killed 'em, there'd always be more. Thousands of 'em, every damn day."

Hiei continued to stare at the Detective in silence. He'd got the demon to think, and that alone was a good sign. "...Just sounds like good sword practise to me." He replied coldly.

Yusuke smirked slightly. He'd guessed he might say something like that. "Oh yeah?" He folded his arms. "You know, you're an asshole Hiei. You've _always_ been an asshole, even back in Demon World. I'm sure there's some big-ass powerful Demons out there who want your head. And soon as they find their way into our world, they'll be lookin' for you. God knows how many there are. Maybe... thousands. Thousands of ugly, pissed-as-hell S class demons, parading your territory everyday..."

Hiei's eye twitched, and his gaze flicked to floor. This subtle act was something the demon rarely displayed. It was a sign that Yusuke had caught him off guard, maybe even _worried_ him. After a few silent moments of staring at the grass, Hiei gazed back up to the Detective, his eyebrows furrowed into a faint glare. "I'm going to regret this."

Yusuke's face lit up into a wide grin, and he ran a hand through his fine hair. "Nah, it'll be just like old times!"

"So I fear..."

* * *

After destroying the fourth Generator, the group took a bus back to the small town and headed to Kurama's apartment, this time with the company of Hiei.

"I'm afraid we don't have enough rooms to account for you Hiei. But I'm sure you'll have no problem resting on a couch." Kurama motioned toward the couches.

Hiei looked them over, lifting his shoulders slightly. "As if it even matters." He made his way directly over to a window at the far end of the room, staring out of it with his hands in his pockets.

Kurama watched him, before looking back to the group. "Right then, I'll start making us some lunch."

"Ooh, sounds good!" Botan smiled. "I'll help!"

Kurama smiled softly. "Thank you."

"Mind if I have a quick shower?" Kuwabara motioned toward the bathroom.

"Of course not." Kurama replied politely. "There are clean towels on the back of the door." He then reached into his sleeve, pulling out a large red-veined green leaf. "I meant to give you this earlier. Hold it against the cut on your cheek, it will help in the healing process."

"Huh," Kuwabara took the leaf from the Kitsune, examining it for a moment, before pressing it against his cheek. "Well thanks!" He grinned, before heading to the bathroom.

"Shall we get that lunch going then?" Botan smiled.

"Yes, let's." Kurama, nodded toward the kitchen, and they headed in.

That left Yusuke alone in the living room, scratching the back of his neck. He glanced over to Hiei who was still stood at the window, motionless. It almost seemed like the view instilled a calmness in him. Heading to the centre of the room, Yusuke stretched his arms out over his head with a yawn. "Glad ya' decided to tag along man. It's good to see ya' again."

Hiei's ears twitched slightly, though he never looked back. "I can't imagine why."

Yusuke snorted and walked over to stand beside Hiei, looking out the window. He could feel the smaller demon tense up slightly. It was clear that Hiei liked to keep distance between himself and others. But whether that was out of instinct or social insecurity was unclear. "You like the view?" He asked, trying to spark some kind of conversation.

"I have a better view in the forest." Hiei commented lazily.

"Yeah, well, it gets cold at the forest." Yusuke retorted.

"I don't mind the cold." Turning, the demon leaned against the sill. He took to silently observing his surroundings, waiting for more idle conversation that was sure to spew from the Detective's mouth.

The Spirit Detective blew air from his lips in a bored manner, before heading over to one of the couch's, collapsing onto it and resting his feet up on a coffee table. "…Hey, Hiei."

The Demon glanced over to the Detective, his face unchanging. "Yes?"

Yusuke folded his arms behind his head. "Why are you such an asshole?"

Hiei rolled his eyes, looking off to the side. "I don't try to impress."

Yusuke snorted. "Oh come on. Are you sayin' you've never _ever_ tried to make a good impression? Like... oh I dunno... with a girl?"

Hiei blinked, his eyes flicking back to Yusuke, as if searching for signs of joking. "…What kind of idiotic question is that? Love is unfamiliar to me. I have no reason to become crippled under the effects of a woman or man, Demon or human."

Yusuke arched a brow. "Really? Well that's boring…" He smirked, tilting his head. "…Are you _sure_ you've never been in love? I mean, like, everyone falls in love at some point, right?"

The fire Demon's jaw tensed. "I've never made established connections that lasted long enough for me to do so. Your human fascination with love is pathetic."

Yusuke frowned. "Pathetic? Hell no, bein' in love is awesome!"

Hiei looked across the room idly. "Love is a crutch. It holds the individual down."

Yusuke shook his head. "Nah, you don't understand. Love aint a crutch." He turned to the swordsman. "It's stronger than all the other emotions combined. Love _always_ beats plain thinkin'. If I had to decide to either save half of human world or save just my friends, as selfish as it sounds, I'd let my own feelings overrule the greater good. I mean, sure, I could save millions of innocent lives. But with those few lives that I actually give a shit about gone forever, would it even be a victory for me?"

Hiei's eyes narrowed slightly as he directed them back at the Detective. "For you to pick your friends over your own kind is not shocking. Humans are no less selfish than Demons... though, I fear you'd sacrifice us _all_ for the life of your ferry-girl. Males will do anything when placed under a siren's spell."

Yusuke opened his mouth to reply, when he suddenly stopped, feeling his heart jump in his chest as a red hue flushed his cheeks. "What...?"

Hiei frowned at the boy, staring for a moment. "How typically human. You don't even realise your own emotions."

Yusuke swallowed hard, sitting up a bit now. "I dunno what you're talkin' about man..."

Hiei snorted, looking back to the window. "Your _'feelings'_ are blindingly obvious. They always have been."

Yusuke frowned, thinking desperately of a way he could reply, when Botan walked in from the kitchen. "Lunchtime!" Yusuke flinched at her voice, feeling his cheeks grow hotter. The bluenette blinked, tilting her head. "Are you feeling okay dear? You look very hot."

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine..." Yusuke waved a hand at her, quickly standing and heading to the kitchen, his head held low to hide his blush.

She blinked and watched him curiously, before turning to Hiei. "Well, you too Hiei!"

The small Demon sighed heavily, stepping away from the windowsill, reluctantly following after the Detective. "I'm jumping with excitement to see what disgusting human toxins I'll be forced to ingest..."

* * *

 **Finally got another chapter done! It feels good to have the whole gang together. It's fun experimenting with the different characters, especially Hiei, he's just so different from Yusuke or Kuwabara. Kinda refreshing!**

 **I'm sorry that I've taken a while to write this new chapter, I'm on holiday right now so I've been really busy. But I'll try to find more time to continue writing for this story!**


	7. Just Like in The Movies

**Chapter 7 – Just Like in The Movies**

"Rise and shiiiiine!"

Yusuke groaned loudly, pushing his face into his pillow. " _Go away…_ "

Botan tutted and walked over to his bed, placing a cup of coffee on a bedside table. "A mug of coffee for the Spirit Detective!"

He slowly opened an eye, watching as she seated herself on the side of the bed beside him. "Ugh, why'd ya wake me up so early?" He croaked.

"It's nine o' clock Yusuke, time to get up for a morning workout!"

The Spirit Detective frowned and heaved himself up into sitting position, rubbing his eyes. "What morning workout?"

Botan smiled and tilted her head. "Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara are training on the roof. Kuwabara wants you to hurry up so he can 'kick your ass'." She made quote marks with her fingers as she spoke.

Yusuke rolled his eyes and yawned loudly. "Alright. Lemme shower and get dressed."

Botan smiled and nodded. "Okay." She sat motionless for a moment, before reaching out to press the back of her hand against his forehead.

He froze as her hand made contact with his skin, his eyes widening a little and his cheeks flaring with heat. He frowned at her, gripping the duvet tightly. "...What are you doin'?"

"Are you feeling okay sweetie? You've been acting a little strangely lately. I do hope you're not coming down with something."

Yusuke clenched his teeth at the sweetness of her voice, feeling his heart begin to beat at a hyper pace. "I'm fine, really. I've just been... feelin' kinda tired lately."

Botan nodded slowly. "Okay. Well, just tell me if something's wrong, okay? I'm always here for you." She gently moved her hand up to stroke her fingers back through his slicked hair, sending a shiver down his spine.

"S-Sure... babe..." He stared into her large rose orbs, his heart thumping hard in his ears.

"...Well, you better get ready then." She stood up from the bed and moved her arms behind her back. "I'll see you in a bit." She smiled gently at him, before turning and heading out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Yusuke watched her go, before sighing heavily, collapsing back down to his pillow. His heart was going crazy, and he could feel his cheeks burning up. He'd hardly got any sleep that night. He'd been up until 4AM, reliving that conversation he'd had with Hiei over and over again. What had he meant by that? Yusuke was pretty sure he knew what the Demon had been implying, but it wasn't something that he could easily just accept. Did he really have special feelings for Botan? The very thought of it made him wince. She was his assistant, so naturally they'd spent a lot of time together. Many of his favourite memories involved Botan, and she'd always been there to look after him, possibly more than anyone else he'd ever known. Of everyone, she always showed the most support, and the most gratitude for his efforts. And none of this was to mention how attractive she was.

The teen sighed sharply, running a hand down his face. The very thought of her name made his heart skip. "Fucks sake..." He grumbled. It was so obvious, yet he'd been too caught up in other things to even acknowledge it. He'd fallen for Botan. His assistant, the _Grim Reaper_. He should've seen it coming. Any boy and girl who spent as much time together as he and Botan did would be bound to grow attached to each other. That's just what happened.

Before another thought could cross his mind, he was suddenly thrown from his mindful state by a brash banging on the door.

"Get the hell up Urameshi! I'm sick of waiting for your lazy ass!"

"Ughh..." Yusuke rolled his eyes with a groan. He grabbed his pillow and threw it at the wooden door, letting it fall softly to the floor. Kuwabara could be heard chuckling from outside, before walking off down the hall.

Slowly sitting up once more, Yusuke ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. "Rise and shine Yusuke..."

* * *

Kuwabara paced back and forth impatiently, muttering angrily to himself. "Stupid Urameshi, chickening out, pretending he's asleep so he doesn't have to fight me..."

Across from him, Kurama and Hiei were enthralled in their own sparring match. Hiei was swinging his sword speedily at the kitsune, giving him no time to stop his chain of sharp dodges. This was no trouble for the red haired Demon, but being the curious fox he was, he spared a moment to flick an eye across to the other male on the roof. But in the split second that Kurama had glanced across at Kuwabara, Hiei plunged his sword forward in lightning speed, pressing the tip lightly to his opponent's throat.

"Ah..." Kurama froze, looking back to Hiei.

The swordsman smirked at him, perking a slender brow. "You're supposed to _watch_ your opponent when you fight them, Kurama."

Kurama chuckled softly, regaining a tall posture as Hiei sheathed his sword. The kitsune glanced back to Kuwabara, nodding over to him. "What's wrong with Kuwabara?"

Hiei snorted. "That fool? He's waiting for Yusuke to join us, so that he can spar with him."

Said redhead growled loudly, stamping his foot. "Why is that asshole taking so long!?"

"What are you shouting about now, dumbass?"

Kuwabara reeled round, to see Yusuke walk out from the roof door, stretching his arms out over his head. The taller teen grinned, cracking his knuckles. "'Bout time, punk!" He quickly assumed a fighting stance, holding his fists up in front of him. "Now get over here so I can kick your ass."

Hiei exhaled sharply, folding his arms. "This should be good…"

Yusuke slowly walked up to Kuwabara, shaking off his arms. "You can take the first punch."

Kuwabara blinked in confusion. "…What?"

"You heard me. Take the first punch."

Kuwabara shook his head with a snort. "Your brain's gettin' soft Urameshi, I think you've spent too much time fighting people from far away with your Spirit Gun. Still, if ya' insist!" He gritted his teeth, before launching a powerful right hook directly at Yusuke's head. With Kuwabara's Spiritual Power, he could deliver punches hard enough to send any normal human flying through the air. But this was _Yusuke_ he was up against...

In the blink of an eye Kuwabara's arm was knocked off to the right, and Yusuke's fist suddenly appeared an inch from his face. The tall boy flinched and stumbled backwards with a yelp. " _Woah!_ "

Yusuke grinned, seemingly satisfied with his friend's surprised reaction.

Kuwabara glared, pushing Yusuke's fist away. "Hey! That's cheating!"

Yusuke frowned. "Give me a break! You wanted a fight, and that's what you got!"

"Yeah, but I want a _real_ fight. You can't go using your stupid Mazoku speed, it's not fair!"

Yusuke snorted. "Alright." He lifted his fists up, bending his knees slightly as he got into a loose stance. "Gimme all you've got!"

Kuwabara smirked, raising his own fists, ready to fight. He tensed up his torso, before swinging back his arm, preparing to launch a powerful punch at Yusuke's head. But just as he started to move his arm, he felt a sharp pressure throb in his skull. "Ack!" He stumbled to the side, missing Yusuke completely and tripping over his own foot, his body slamming straight to the roof floor with a loud thump.

Yusuke blinked, staring at Kuwabara's undignified position on the ground, before throwing his head back and laughing.

Kuwabara growled, pushing his torso up with his arms as he glared at Yusuke. "Yo, shut up!"

Yusuke shook his head, wiping a tear from his eye as Kuwabara heaved himself up. "Dude, that was gold! What the hell happened?"

Kuwabara grunted, brushing dirt off his navy blue t-shirt. "It's the last Generator. They've set that shit up, I felt it just as I punched."

Yusuke snorted. "Really? That's the best excuse you can come up with?"

"He's right." Kurama stepped up to the two boys. "I can feel it too. It's weak to my senses, but it's definitely there."

"Oh..." Yusuke blinked, looking back to Kuwabara. "Well nice one. The human bloodhound strikes again."

"Having a break are we?" Botan walked out from the roof door, smiling.

Yusuke turned to her, folding his arms. "Kuwabara just sensed the last Generator."

The reaper blinked, looking to Kuwabara. "You did?"

Kuwabara nodded. "Sure did, bout a minute ago. Caught me at the worst time, though..."

"O-Oh..." Botan stuttered a little, but a small smile touched her lips. "...so what's the plan of action?"

Yusuke nodded firmly. "Let's set off now, no point waitin'. Let's get ready, and set our asses off to kick some Demon tail."

* * *

After heading back down to Kurama's apartment, the group went straight to preparing themselves. Kurama was stood at the coffee table, busy thinking out a plan to reach their next location as he examined the map, while Hiei was stood at the windowsill again, his thoughts unclear as always. Kuwabara and Yusuke had changed out of their training clothes and were sat in their rooms, awaiting Kurama to give word that the plan was set. Kuwabara was sat on the floor, busy slamming out on his GameBoy, while just down the hall Yusuke Urameshi was laying on his bed, his arms folded behind his head, eyes closed. A set of French windows that led to a balcony were open, allowing a warm breeze into the bedroom. All was silent, except for the sound of distant traffic and soft lapping curtains.

A soft tapping was heard from the door, and Yusuke shifted gently. He could sense an entity at his doorway, a familiar one. His heart began to suddenly pick up in pace, a huge giveaway of the being's identity.

"Yusuke?" A soft female voice spoke out to him.

"Mm." Was his simple response, and he remained motionless.

Some soft footsteps could be heard approaching his bedside. "Hello my dear... how are you doing?"

The boy slowly opened his dark eyes, looking up at the girl's pretty face. He felt his cheeks begin to burn softly, causing him to twitch in embarrassment. "I'm fine I guess. Why'd ya' ask?"

Botan gave a nervous smile and sat herself down beside him. "That's good... I just wanted to make sure that you were okay." She looked off to the window. "...I didn't tell the others, but... Koenma told me that last time this happened, this Demon's plan I mean, the last Generator was the hardest to destroy."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well good, bout time they gave us a challenge."

Botan looked back to Yusuke, biting her lip. "...A _lot_ harder Yusuke... remember earlier this week, when I told you that the identity of the lead Demon was unknown? Well, that wasn't entirely true..."

The Spirit Detective frowned suddenly, lifting his head up a bit. "Huh...?"

"Yeah..." Botan looked down to the bedsheets. "...Last time they attempted this plan, back when King Yama stopped it, he lost over two hundred men while trying to destroy the final Generator... including the Spirit Detective at the time."

Yusuke suddenly sat up, his face stone serious. "Are you freakin' kidding me..."

"I wish I was..." Botan sighed. "...At the last hurdle, when all seemed to be going well, they were faced by the Demon in charge of it all. There's almost no information on him in the Spirit World archives. The only details I could find is from the survivors' accounts. They described him as 'a tall man'. Other than that, I just know that it took over half of King Yama's best soldiers to defeat him. He then fled back to the Demon World, and was never heard of again..."

Yusuke ground his teeth hard, balling his hands into fists. "So you're tellin' me that this asshole is gonna be waitin' for us at the last Generator?"

Botan lifted her shoulders gently. "I don't know. But... it's something we should definitely be prepared for." She reached down and placed a hand on Yusuke's. "I'm so sorry, I just didn't want to say anything. Your spirits were so high, I didn't want to crush your determination! But, I could never let you go in blind... I think it'll be best if _you_ tell the others."

Yusuke gazed silently at her, before looking down to his lap. "Well, I wanted a challenge, and it looks like I got one, huh."

Botan smiled, squeezing his hand gently. "I have so much faith in you. You've defeated spirits and Demons that were once deemed invincible. Your power is extraordinary Yusuke, and I know that whatever we face today, I'll be safe, because I'm with you." The reaper's cheeks visibly bloomed with blush, and she stared deeply into Yusuke's warm orbs.

The boy felt his heart thumping in his chest. He'd never found himself so excited by mere words. Just hearing that he meant so much to Botan filled his senses with a euphoric cloud. He continued to stare dead into her eyes, the room thick with a heavy silence. It could've been so awkward, but it wasn't at all.

Yusuke felt a hot flow rush through his body as he lowered his gaze to Botan's soft lips. The girl almost seemed to react to his gaze, and she gently bit her bottom lip. He'd seen enough sappy movies to know where this was going. Those words she'd said before, they had feeling behind them. Genuine emotion, of a kind that Yusuke just hoped was akin to how he felt. He wanted her. He may not have even acknowledged it before, but now, it was clear in his mind.

He was in love with Botan.

More moments of silence passed, when Yusuke decided it was time. This was what he wanted, what he needed. He was strong-headed, and there was no way he was going to hold back from attempting to grasp at his desires. Taking a deep, slow breath, he slowly began to lean in to Botan, his eyes half closing as they focused on the reaper's soft pink lips. The girl's rose eyes widened suddenly as she took notice of Yusuke's slow action.

A million thoughts blurred through Yusuke's eyes as he continued to lean in.

 _'Jesus christ, I'm actually doin' this!? I'm gonna KISS Botan? What if she just blows me off? Holy crap, I dunno if I could take that kinda rejection. What if this just screws up our whole relationship? I think I'd die of embarrassment...'_

But there was no time to think, because before he knew it, his lips were pressed to the ferry-girl's. Suddenly realising the contact his eyes widened, and he flicked his gaze up to Botan's. Her eyes had closed, and her cheeks flushed bright pink. A soft hum found itself out from her lips and into his as she slowly stroked her hand up from his hand to his upperarm.

She'd accepted his kiss.

Yusuke's heart was beating so hard that he swore Botan must've been able to hear it. Restraining himself from just exploding out of sheer excitement, he too closed his eyes, reaching out to place his own hand against Botan's waist, stroking up it gently. Such intimacy, it was something he'd never experienced. Yet it felt as if they'd been lovers for years, like this was something familiar, something they'd both been expecting. It was perfect.

"Hey Urameshi, I..."

Botan and Yusuke simultaneously snapped their eyes open as a low voice spoke out from the doorway, breaking them from their perfect embrace. Pulling away from each other they lowered their heads quickly, their entire faces burning dark red. Stood in the doorway was Kuwabara, his eyes wide and jaw almost on the floor. He stared at them in disbelief, before slowly raising a hand, pointing a finger at Yusuke.

"...I FREAKIN' KNEW IT."

Yusuke gazed up at Kuwabara from under his dark pompadour, his eyes narrow. "Y-You freakin' knew what..."

"That YOU! And BOTAN! A-AND..." He began to wildly wave his hands about, trying to formulate words.

Yusuke growled quietly, before looking back down at the floor. "Go away Kuwabara..."

Kuwabara grinned smugly. "Aheheh... well hurry up loverboy, we're about set off." The redhead snickered quietly to himself as he turned and headed down the hallway.

Yusuke sighed heavily, slowly looking across to Botan, peering up at her. She was sat motionless, staring down at her lap, face still bright red. "W-Well... guess we better get goin', huh..." Botan remained motionless, staring down. Yusuke blinked a few times, before slowly moving up from the bed. "Well, I'll meet you outsid-"

But before he could stand, Botan took hold of his wrist, her eyes flicking up to meet his. The teen flinched a little, feeling his heart jump.

"I love you Yusuke!"

His body went stiff. Did she just say... Gazing over the girl's face with wide eyes, he could find no trace of joking. Just wide eyes and burning cheeks, an expression of desperateness and flustered embarrassment. "I..." The teen muttered quietly, feelings his cheeks grow ever hotter.

"D-Do..." Botan spoke up again, her eyes beginning to become rather watery. "...Do you love me too...?" Her voice wavered, clearly carrying heavy emotion with them.

Yusuke bit his lip, taken aback by the question. He didn't think he'd ever seen the ferry-girl like this. So flustered, disorganised, and vulnerable. Like she was letting forth a side of herself that she'd always hidden, and hoping dearly that Yusuke wouldn't reject it. A few more moments of silence passed, when Yusuke finally placed a hand atop hers, a small smile gracing his lips. "Yeah, I love you too Botan..."

The girl flinched, her eyes brightening suddenly, as if she hadn't been expecting such an answer. In lightning speed she suddenly shot forward, wrapping her arms around Yusuke's neck, nestling her head into the crook of his shoulder. "O-Oh Y-Yusuke... I d-didn't think you'd ever notice!" She nuzzled into his shoulder. "I love you so much..."

Yusuke swallowed hard, holding around the girl's waist as he felt a lump form in his throat. "A-Aheh... I love you too babe..." He moved his head back a bit. "...Now we better get goin', don't wanna keep the guys waiting..."

* * *

"There you are." Kurama smiled as Yusuke and Botan walked into the living room. Yusuke held up a hand to the kitsune, his head still low as his cheeks continued to burn red. The fox Demon blinked, but decided not to question their odd behavior. "Everything is set, and we're ready to leave when you are."

Yusuke nodded, stepping over to the coffee table. "R-Right, nice one man..." He coughed quietly, wiping his thumb under his nose. "...So, it's this one here?" He pointed down to the map to the last point on the pentagon. It was the only one without a label, and appeared to be situated outside of any cities.

"That's right." Kurama replied softly. "It's in an area of wilderness I've never visited. But there's a trainline that passes through an old nearby village. We'll take that, and walk the rest of the way there."

Yusuke nodded. "Sounds good." He then glanced over the others, receiving a wiggling set of eyebrows from a rather smug looking Kuwabara. "...We ready to go yet then?"

"Hn..." Hiei hummed abruptly. "...As long as you and your ferry woman are quite done with your foolish antics."

"U-Uh..." Yusuke blinked at the small Demon, before darting his gaze to Kuwabara. "D-Did you tell him, you dumbass!?"

Kuwabara shrugged, shaking his head. "Nope, my lips were sealed!"

Yusuke gritted his teeth, glancing back to Hiei. The swordsman was giving him a rather snide, all-knowing look. For a creature who claimed to know nothing of human customs, he seemed to have a keen eye for it.

Kurama blinked in confusion, looking over the two. "...Would you care to elaborate?" He smiled in slight embarrassment, something he often did when confused.

Kuwabara looked to Yusuke, as if silently asking for permission to tell the kitsune. The Detective sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, nodding at his friend. The taller teen grinned, before turning to Kurama. "I went to go tell Yusuke that we were ready to set off, but turns out he'd already had a visit from Botan..." He chuckled a little, excited to get to the juicy part. "...and they were sat on the bed, _eatin' each others faces!_ "

Yusuke and Botan both groaned out quietly, and Yusuke ran a hand down his face.

"O-Oh my..." Kurama blinked, his cheeks glowing a little with blush. "...Well, I'm very happy for you two. I must say, I always thought you two would make a cute couple."

Yusuke swallowed hard, rubbing the back of neck. "Y-Yeah, well, now we've got that out in the open, can we just get back on topic?"

Hiei looked to Kurama. "I agree. This conversation is making my stomach turn."

Kurama smiled gently, nodding. "Oh, yes, of course. My apologies." He looked back to the map. "I can't say I have any idea what to expect when we get to the last Generator, but hopefully it will be as simple as the others." Something about the Kitsune's face revealed that he doubted that his own statement.

Yusuke swallowed, feeling his stomach sink a bit. He had to tell them, they deserved to know. "It won't be as simple..." He said quietly, folding his arms over his chest. The other males all looked to him with rather confused glances, while Botan lowered her head a little, appearing somewhat ashamed. "...Turns out last time this happened, the last generator came along with a surprise meet-and-greet with the big-shot in charge of this operation."

Kurama blinked, tilting his head a little. "Are you saying... we'll be faced with the mind behind this scheme?"

Yusuke shrugged. "If it's anythin' like last time, then yeah."

Kuwabara frowned, stepping forward slightly. "Wait... how the hell do you know this Urameshi? You sayin' all this time you were lettin' us run into this blindly!?"

Yusuke raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Hell no man, I just..."

Kuwabara snorted, balling his hands into fists. "Why the hell didn't you tell us earlier? I thought we were team! We're supposed to work together and share information!"

Hiei sighed heavily. "Silence your yelling, oaf. It's obvious that even the Detective was oblivious to this until recently." He motioned toward Botan. "If I had to guess, I'd say the ferry-girl told him. She never let on before because she didn't want to crush your weak human confidence, but the guilt got too much, and she just had to blurt it to her precious Spirit Detective, knowing that we wouldn't slit _his_ throat for keeping it from us."

Botan frowned at Hiei momentarily, but lowered her a head a little more. "He's right..."

Kuwabara blinked, looking to Botan. "Botan...? You knew this shit all along...?"

The bluenette sighed heavily with a slow nod. "Y-Yes, I did. Koenma told me before we started the case. B-But I just didn't want to break your confidence! You were all doing so well! I... I couldn't ruin that..."

Kurama sighed softly, nodding. "I understand Botan. I don't blame you for keeping it to yourself. But next time, please tell us everything. As Kuwabara said, we're a team. We all deserve to know, it would give us extra time to prepare."

Botan nodded again at the fox Demon. She then looked to Kuwabara sheepishly, and the teen sighed heavily, a clumsy smile finding its way onto his face. "...Yeahhh, I forgive ya' Botan. Just don't keep out any details next time, I _always_ wanna know when the next big fight is!"

The reaper nodded firmly, smiling gratefully as she hold up a mock salute. "Yes sir! I should never have kept it to myself, I know. You boys will be able to handle it, I don't know why I was ever worried!"

Kurama chuckled gently, before looking to Yusuke. "Now, the only question that remains, is are we ready?"

Yusuke nodded firmly, holding out a fist. "Hell yeah we are! I've been waitin' for a challenge ever since we started this case."

Kuwabara held out his own fists. "Damn right! Let's go knock some sense into their leader!"

The kitsune smiled. "That settles it. We have no time to waste."

* * *

 **Oops, would you look at that, Yusuke and Botan are an item ;3**

 **Next chapter is when the main meat of the story starts really, I've been saving most of my best ideas for the parts after this haha. I look forward to writin some good action-packed chapters!**


	8. Invade and Eliminate

**Chapter 8 – Invade and Eliminate**

"How much longer is this gonna take?" Yusuke sighed impatiently, flicking a bug away from his face and looking down at his black sneakers. The group had taken the train to a small village in the middle of nowhere, and were now making their way through a green field in the direction of the last Generator.

Botan turned to Yusuke and frowned at him, tapping her beeping Demon compass. "Stop whining Yusuke, it won't be too far now."

Yusuke snorted, before reaching out and pinching her butt. "I'll make _you_ whine…"

The reaper gasped suddenly, her cheeks blazing with blush. " _Y-Yusuke!_ "

Kuwabara chuckled quietly and shook his head. "You're such an asshole Urameshi."

Yusuke waved a hand at the redhead, grinning a little. "You know it, bro."

Botan frowned at the boys, before slapping the Detective's arm.

"H-Hey!" Yusuke growled, rubbing his arm a little.

"Hmph, that's what you get." Botan said with a smirk, before reaching down to take Yusuke's hand in hers. The teen blinked as she held his hand, feeling his cheeks flare up. Botan bit her lip and winked at him, coaxing a dazed grin from him, and he tightened his hold on her hand.

Kuwabara sighed and glanced back over his shoulder. A huge view of distant green forest and rolling hills graced their backs, the small rural village now but a tiny splodge in his vision. The sky was an intimidating grey colour, and the air was heavy and humid. It seemed that a thunderstorm was imminent. "So, is this Generator just gonna be in the middle of a field?" The teen asked, stroking the healed cut on his cheek as he looked back ahead.

"I doubt it," Kurama replied. "There's some forest up ahead, it would make more sense for the Generator to be concealed in some kind of cover."

"Ugh, _another_ damn forest? I'm sick of trees." Kuwabara grumbled to himself, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Shoulda brought my Walkman..."

* * *

"It's here…"

Kurama murmured as the group came to a halt. They had reached the edge of a wide lush forest, their eyes set ahead at an unusual structure. A stoic abandoned house made from old rotten wood, its intimidating frame lurking out the edge of the trees from deeper within the forest. A worn, traditional Japanese roof topped the decrepit building, and a few narrow windows ran along its sides, but nothing but darkness could be seen within.

Kurama blinked slowly, looking over the building. "It certainly doesn't appear very inviting..."

Kuwabara rubbed the back of his neck, examining the windows nervously, pressure beating in his forehead in time with the beeping of Botan's compass. "Looks like somethin' from a horror movie..."

Yusuke snorted and stretched his arms out in front of him. "Sure, it's a creepy-ass pad. But are we really just gonna stand here commenting on it all day?"

Hiei gave the detective a quick nod. "I agree with the Detective. Enough stalling, let's get this over with."

Yusuke nodded at him, before turning to Kurama. "You ready, foxboy?"

The kitsune nodded, his eyes remaining on the house. "As always."

The teen then turned to Kuwabara, who gave him a solid nod. "Ready as hell, Urasmeshi."

Yusuke grinned, before looking to Botan who was stood at his side, still holding his hand. "Babe? You ready?"

Botan turned off her Demon Compass to cease the beeping, and looked to Yusuke with a rather worried face. But she nodded with a small smile. "Of course. As long as you're here, I'm ready for anything."

Yusuke smiled, a gentle blush touching his cheeks. He then looked back to the house, just as a deep guttural crack of thunder resonated through the sky behind them. They all looked up at the grey sky, feeling a light peppering of rain on their faces. "Better hurry." Yusuke headed straight for the front door, followed by the others. Yusuke pressed his hand to the door, pulling it swiftly to the side, revealing the gaping doorway. He stepped in, finding himself surrounded by nothing but a heavy cold darkness. "I can't see a damn thing! It's too dark."

Hiei stepped in beside Yusuke, frowning. "Hm… They've set up a weak masking spell. That's why it's so unnaturally dark." He swiftly lifted his arm, using his powers to summon a brisk gust of wind. The hot air rushed past them and swirled around the room, taking the darkness with it, as if it were a massive black curtain. The demonic breeze then proceeded to leave as quickly as it had arrived, back out through the doorway, leaving the shadowy room lit.

Yusuke blinked and scratched his head. "Well damn, you gotta teach me that one Hiei."

A hint of a smirk touched Hiei's lips as he peered at the Detective, before walking further into the room. They were stood in a long open room, the walls all made from dark wood, and a worn tatami mat covering the floor. Small cracked windows lined the top of the walls either side of them, on which small drops of rain were beginning to run. The interior of the room looked a lot like an old traditional dojo, much like inside Genkai's temple. Except no other doors were visible. It was just a rectangular room with one entrance.

"Ugh, this place gives me the creeps." Kuwabara said abruptly, looking around with nervous eyes. "Looks like this photo my grandpa showed me years ago of his old school."

Kurama hummed inquisitively to himself. "I'd say this used to be a farmhouse. Probably owned by a family decades ago."

Hiei sighed sharply. "Does it really matter what the building looks like? I thought we were here to finish your stupid case, not dawdle like a brainless band of apes."

Yusuke snorted. "Yeah. Let's get to business."

The group proceeded inside, instinctively taking their own part of the room to inspect. The rain had become much heavier, and the sound of it pelting the ground and trees outside came heavy from the open door. Yusuke walked along the left wall, running his hand across the old wooden wall, brushing up dust as he did. He took a moment to glance back, looking across at Botan, who was busy examining the ceiling, her pink eyes wide and curious. The teen smiled to himself, feeling his heart flutter a little. _'Damn she's cute...'_ He thought to himself, continuing to walk forward, until he felt a dull crunch beneath his right foot. He blinked, looking down at his feet. His eyes widened a little, finding that he'd stepped on the head of an old china doll. He took his foot back from the crushed china and reached down to pick up the old toy. Shards of china fell out from its broken head cavity as he picked it up, examining it. He brushed some dust off its dark blue dress, turning it over to look at its back. Hidden under its frilly collar was a small symbol painted onto the back of its neck. He frowned, pulling down the collar to examine the symbol. It was a letter he'd never seen before, kind of like a black snake with horns. "What the..."

Just then, a familiar stern voice spoke out ahead. "Detective."

The group looked up, to see Hiei stood in the shadows of the room's far right corner, his crimson eyes focused on Yusuke. The teen placed the doll back on the floor, before walking over to the demon.

"I believe I've found something of interest." The swordsman nodded at the wall in front of him. Yusuke examined it, not really seeing much other than old worn wood. Though, on closer inspection, he could just make out tiny grooves in the shadows, running in meter long horizontal lines up the right side of the back wall.

"What am I lookin' at here?" The teen asked, a little confused.

Hiei reached out to touch one of the grooves, running his thin finger along its length. "These Demons are trickier than I suspected..." Without another word, he took hold of the groove like a tiny handle and tugged his arm toward him, pulling a small meter long segment of the wall with it. Yusuke blinked as Hiei pulled out the cuboid of wall, almost as it were a shelf. After pulling it out about a foot, it clicked firmly in place. The small Demon then placed his hand on the end of it, pushing the wood back into the wall. The segment sucked quickly back in, but instead of stopping in line with the others, it moved back past the wall, pulling all the other segments in with it. Each segment lagged about a foot behind the other, as they moved back into the wall, before clicking in place simultaneously.

Yusuke's eyes widened as he peered in at the pattern they'd created within the wall. "It's a staircase!" He looked down to Hiei, grinning widely. "Nice one Hiei. How the hell d'ya figure that out?"

A small smug grin touched Hiei's lips. "It's a standard concealed Demon World stairway. I've broken into plenty."

"Good work Hiei." Kurama spoke gently, leading the others across to the two males. He peered into the caved wall, and up to the pitch darkness that waited atop the staircase.

"Cant' see shit." Yusuke folded his arms. He then looked back to Hiei. "Maskin' spell?"

The swordsman frowned a little. "It's not heavy enough to be demonic." He looked to Yusuke. "This darkness is a result of no light."

"Psh." Yusuke snorted, before looking back ahead. "Come on then, let's haul ass. I'll go first. Hiei, stick behind me, gonna need your flame power for a torch."

Hiei nodded, just as a flash of bright light filled the room from the windows. Botan gasped, and they all looked to the front door, watching the rain as it streaked down through the grey sky. A few seconds later, another strong rumble of thunder growled overhead.

Kuwabara grinned, looking to Yusuke. "Thunderstorms are awesome!"

Yusuke hummed in humour. "Let's move before the roof comes down on our heads." He turned back to the tight staircase and squeezed in, heading up to the darkness above. Hiei walked up after him, followed by Kurama, Botan, and then Kuwabara. They soon reached the top, and Yusuked looked around a little. "We could use some of that lightning in here." He glanced back to Hiei. "Little help?"

The fire Demon reached a hand out beside Yusuke, a burst of flame blooming within his palm, painting the room with warm orange light. The room was nowhere near as big as Yusuke had expected. In fact, it wasn't a room at all. It was a tiny cramped hallway, only wide enough for a single person. The end of the hallway was too far to see, and only more darkness was visible ahead.

"Well this is unsettling..." Yusuke glanced back at the others. "Single file, kids!" With that said, the Detective continued onward into the dark hallway, leading the others.

Hiei kept his flame burning brightly as they walked, his crimson eyes flicking around the tight wooden hall as they walked onward. This definitely wasn't a situation he was accustomed to, finding himself trapped so tightly between Yusuke and Kurama. He wasn't fond of being so close to others, even if these _were_ individuals that he favoured. "Do you see an end yet?" He asked firmly.

Yusuke sighed quietly. "Nah. Jeez, how long is this building." They hadn't been walking long, but at the pace they were travelling, they definitely would've reached the end of the building by now. But Yusuke had learnt that when Demons got involved, human logic tended to fly out the window, even with the most simple things. It was eerily quiet within the hallway's tight confines, and despite the stillness, there was a growing sense of dread in the air as they walked onward.

* * *

"Ah!"

Nearly ten minutes of walking had passed, when Yusuke suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, causing Hiei to walk straight into his back.

"Ugh!" The small demon grimaced, glaring at the back of the boy's head. "Is there any reason you've ceased your stupid human bulk from proceeding?"

"There's a door!"

Hiei blinked a little, peering forward from behind the teen's body. Lo and behold, ahead of them was a rather out-of-place black metal door.

Yusuke walked up to it, examining it curiously. "Yo Kuwabara," He looked back over his shoulder. "You feel anything behind this door? Any Demons running around?"

Kuwabara got on tip-toes to look at Yusuke from over Kurama's head. He frowned, before standing back down normally and closing his eyes, focusing his field of spirit awareness forward and toward the door. After a few moments he growled in frustration. "I can't feel anythin' man! The damn door's blocking up my senses."

Hiei breathed impatiently. "It's another masking spell." He looked to Yusuke. "Just open the damn thing and go in, surely that's a much quicker way to find what's inside."

Yusuke waved a hand at him, before looking back to the door. Taking hold of the large cold handle, he twisted it to the side, before pushing the door open slowly. There was a sharp creak of strained metal as he pushed the door open, and he stepped in.

Yet again, a room of pitch blackness.

"Are you kiddin' me!" Yusuke growled. "These guys never heard of lighting? Jeez."

Hiei stepped in beside Yusuke, followed by Kurama and the others. Kuwabara blinked as he walked in, feeling a soft wave of energy wash over him. "Woah. There's definitely something in here Urameshi..."

Hiei hissed, holding out a hand. "Quiet..." The group felt silent, watching Hiei as he kept his body rigid and completely frozen, as if he was a statue. He just waited and listened. Something was lurking in the darkness ahead. Something that wasn't easily identifiable. "Do you feel it?" He asked quietly, his sharp voice a whisper.

The Spirit Detective nodded, feeling a slight shiver run up his spine. It was weak, but there was definitely a Demon presence in the dark room. "Yeah, I feel it…" He replied quietly. "...is it masking its power?"

Hiei nodded slowly, his eyes remaining ahead. "Something is slumbering," he pointed forwards, ears perking like a cat's.

"Yeah..." Kuwabara murmured, his eyes narrow. "I can see it, looks like it's curled up."

Hiei held his left hand out in front of Yusuke, allowing his small fireball to brighten, increasing the light in the room to help Yusuke and Botan's less sensitive eyes adjust. "Just there."

Yusuke squinted and leant forward, now able to make out something in the darkness ahead. About forty feet ahead of them lay a large grey creature, its stone-like back turned to them. As Kuwabara had said, it looked like it was curled up, its body slowly rising and falling as it breathed. "Is... it asleep?" Yusuke took a step forward, before turning to Hiei with raised eyebrows. "…You're a stealthy guy, d'ya think you could get over there and kill it without waking it?"

"Oh? And what happened to your go get'em attitude, detective?" Chided Hiei with relative disinterest.

Yusuke snorted. "Yeah yeah. You're the only one of us who could get over there without makin' a sound."

Hiei rolled his eyes. That was true enough, he was by far the stealthiest out of them all. "I'll scout, but only for a moment." He shifted his footing, before flitting to the centre of the room, disappearing into the darkness. The group watched as he disappeared, Yusuke scratching his head, looking around a little, trying to make out the swordsman's location. A few moments of silence passed, before Hiei suddenly reappeared by the Spirit Detective's side, his hands in his pockets. "The creature is slightly aware of its surroundings, but is incapacitated. However, an early awakening will prove troublesome. The stomach area is the weakest point that I can make out. The heart is there."

Yusuke nodded. "Right, the stomach..." He stared at the Demon for a moment, before looking back to Kuwabara."…Do you wanna take this one big guy? You could use some action. And besides, your sword is more accurate than my Spirit Gun in close range."

Kuwabara blinked, before grinning and cracking his knuckles "Damn straight! Stand back boys, lemme show you how it's done." Without hesitation he walked onward, knowing exactly where the beast lay. He was careful to tread as quietly as he could, until he found himself beside the creature. The Demon was a lot larger up close than it had appeared before, but that wasn't enough to scare Kuwabara away. He straightened his posture and flicked out a hand, releasing his Spirit Sword. He held the glowing blade up above the creature's stomach, taking a deep breath as he did so. With one quick motion he plunged the sword down, slicing through the beast's tough grey skin and deep into its chest, puncturing the heart. A low growling sound filled the room and the Demon moved a little, causing Kuwabara to step back cautiously.

Suddenly, the beast threw back its head, letting out a blood-curdling yowl. It clumsily scrambled up onto its heavy feet, snorting and roaring loudly as it thrashed its head from side to side. It then stopped, its pupiless red eyes directed straight at Yusuke.

The Spirit Detective blinked, just as the Demon began to charge head onto him with surprising speed. "Ahh!" Yusuke gasped, Kurama and Botan quickly running out from behind him to reach a safe distance. The teen quickly leapt to the side, narrowly dodging the Demon's dinosaur-like horned head. He grunted as he rolled, swiftly shifting himself back to his feet. The beast had got its large head stuck in the doorway, and it thrashed violently, desperate to get free. Yusuke glared at the creature with narrows eyes, holding up his right hand, preparing to use his Spirit Gun. That's when he noticed a dark liquid spilling in a trail from the creature's chest. Blood. Kuwabara had got a direct hit. That made things easier. Now all he had to do was work it until it bled out. The Spirit Detective clicked his neck from side to side, a small grin touching his lips. "Yo, lizard! What's wrong, your bone-head too big for the door? Can't be all brains then!"

As if understanding the insult, the creature roared furiously, whipping its head to the side and breaking through the wall, sending splinters of wood toward the teen. Yusuke held up his arms to shield himself from the wood chippings, just as the Demon started another charge. "Woahh!" He yelled out as the beast closed in on him, and he leapt up in lightning speed, flipping over the creature and firing a few Spirit shots down at its head. The Demon cried out in pain, thrashing its head from side to side as he landed gracefully behind it. It swerved round, swinging its horns at the Detective. But the young man jumped aside, stumbling a little, before throwing a powerful punch between its eyes with a crack. The beast snarled sharply and stepped back from the unexpected blow, snapping its eyes shut. It spat out a puddle of dark blood, before reopening its eyes and charging at Yusuke again. " _Huh!?_ " The Spirit Detective's eyes widened, and he began to hurriedly jog backwards, punching at the creature's head repeatedly. "Come on you bastard, just freakin' die!"

As if on cue, the beast barked painfully, stumbling forward and landing head first onto the hard floor, snapping one of its horns. Yusuke continued to jog back as the creature's limp body slid forward across the floor, before coming to a heavy halt. The Spirit Detective stopped, holding his fists up in front of him as he glared down at it. It let out a rumbling groan, attempting to heave back up onto its feet. But it didn't have the strength, and fell back down, coughing up more blood as it slowly writhed in the shadows.

Yusuke relaxed his stance, folding his arms. "Looks like he's about had it."

Kuwabara made his way over to him, looking down at the Demon, his sword still in hand. "Sure looks like it." He looked back to Kurama. "Now what? Should we leave him?"

The kitsune eyed the dying beast. "There's no need to let it suffer."

Kuwabara blinked, looking back to the Demon. It certainly appeared to be in a lot of pain. Even if this creature had been trying to kill them moments ago, it wasn't an easy sight to see it writhe around helplessly as it bled to death. "Sorry buddy..." The redhead sighed and held his sword above his head, before swiftly bringing it down on the creature's neck, slicing through the flesh and bone with ease. Its body stiffened as its large horned head fell to the side, releasing a flood of dark liquid from its neck stump.

Yusuke winced, stepping back slightly. "Well, that did it..."

The others headed over to join them, Botan taking hold of Yusuke's arm, resting her head against his shoulder a little. He turned to look at her, seeing her shocked face. The teen smiled, and leaned in to kiss her warm cheek. "...Did you see my flip?" He smirked at her softly.

The reaper blinked, unable to hold back a small chuckle. "I did. My man is such an athlete..."

He chuckled as she gently stroked his cheek, before looking back to the others. "So, somethin' tells me our big lizard buddy here wasn't the leader."

"Of course not." Hiei scoffed. "Just a weak bodyguard, used to slow us down."

Yusuke hummed quietly, before taking to look around the dark room. "Anyone see a way out?"

The others began to look around too, searching the surrounding darkness for any kind of sign of an exit.

"Guys, look!"

The group all looked to Kuwabara, who was pointing behind them. They looked round, to see a faint orange orb of light about twenty feet away, hovering in the darkness. Its strength was slowly increasing, licking more light over its surrounding area. Within seconds, a tall doorway was revealed beneath the ball of light, another hallway behind it. The ball stopped growing and continued to float above the door, as if awaiting them.

Kurama exhaled slowly, his narrow eyes fixed on the ball of light. "It seems we're a desired audience."

Kuwabara raised an eyebrow. "Whadd'ya mean?"

"It means someone _wants_ us to progress..."

Yusuke grimaced, muttering under his breath. "Tall man..." He stepped forward and began to make his way toward the doorway. He glanced back at the others briefly. "Then let's give this asshole an audience..."

Kuwabara nodded, quickly following after his friend with the others. Yusuke glanced up at the floating orb as they reached it, and he walked underneath, his dark eyes glowing in its aura. He then progressed into another hallway. The floor felt softer here, as if they were walking on grass. As they passed under the orb, more orbs began to appear down the hallway, lining the walls and illuminating the area.

The walls were made of a dark oak, and unlike in the previous rooms, were heavily decorated and ornate, like something from a British estate house. A luxurious red carpet lined the floor beneath their feet, and a few gold framed paintings were hung on the walls, depicting dark, macabre art pieces.

"Wow..." Botan gasped a little. "...Did the Demons make this?"

Kurama glanced around curiously. "It would seem so. A lot of higher-class Demons try to distance themselves from the crude culture of their weaker counterparts." He glanced across to Yusuke. "...I'm starting to doubt we're in the Human World anymore."

Yusuke snorted. "Wouldn't be the first time we stumbled into Demon territory."

They continued onwards down the long hallway, finding that as they kept walking, the interior began to change. The walls were turning from dark wood to a rather dull grey, and the hall itself was becoming wider. Hiei's sharp eyes darted around, noticing the changes in scenery. He held a small hand to the hilt of his sword, an action that comforted him in uncertain situations. Before long, the hallway had completely transformed from its regal former self, to become nothing more than a wide, stone tunnel, much like the tunnels underground trains travel.

Botan swallowed hard, reaching out to take hold of Yusuke's arm, squeezing it a little.

Yusuke turned his head toward her slightly, smiling a little. "It's okay babe, I'll protect ya'."

* * *

Soon enough they came up to what appeared to be a wide circular junction up ahead. They stepped out from the tunnel and into a tall room, the ceiling carved into an arching shape from the same grey stone. Around them were four more large tunnels, leading into pitch darkness.

Yusuke blinked, looking around at the tunnels. "What the hell is this? Where do we go?"

Kurama looked around curiously. "Seems like we've stumbled across a test. I assume that one of these four tunnels will lead to our destination, while the others will no doubt result in setting off a trap."

Kuwabara growled. "Great, more mind games!? Screw this guy! I'm gonna kick his ass just for makin' me think!"

Yusuke waved his hands at his friend. "Easy buddy! Now can you tell if any of these have any kinda energy that stands out?"

Kuwabara frowned and faced the tunnels. He slowly closed his eyes and lowered his head, channelling his energy to search for any traces of prominent Demon Energy. After a few seconds he grumbled in frustration, opening his eyes. "Can't feel a damn thing!"

Yusuke ground his teeth. "More maskin' spells? Greeaat..."

Botan blinked, looking around the tunnels with a rather worried expression. "So... we'll just have to guess and hope for the best?"

Kurama held up a delicate hand. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We should take some time to consider some kind of plan."

Yusuke sighed softly. Of course, Kurama always wanted to make plans. The teen gazed at each of the tunnels in turn, staring down into the pitch darkness within. He could definitely feel a rather thick presence ahead, almost like an oncoming warm breeze. But all of the tunnels had the same sensation, so there was no way of guessing which one was the right path. Yusuke then began to study the walls of the room, looking around the edges of the tunnel entrances. Nothing to suggest any kind of traps at the entrances. But if there were any, they'd probably be further in, where the group wouldn't be able to see them. While examining the top of the entrances, the teen spotted something. A small marking, etched into the stone. He frowned, leaning his head forward a little to get a better look. It was a strange, small symbol that he didn't recognise, kind of like something from one of those old scribes in museums. He raised an eyebrow, and looked onto the next tunnel. Lo and behold, above the entrance was a small, almost invisible etching. This one was different, and like the last, was something he'd never seen before. He then gazed on to the next, his eyes travelling straight to the top of the entrance. Just as he expected, there was a symbol. He was about to gaze onto the next, when something stopped him. His eyebrows furrowed, and he continued to stare at the symbol on the third tunnel. Something was different. Unlike on the last two, this was a symbol that he _did_ recognise. But where...

He continued to stare at it, frowning hard, trying to identify the marking. It was long and elegant, kind of in the shape of an 'S', with small flicks on top. It almost looked like... He felt his heart leap, and he gasped under his breath. "...A snake with horns... holy shit." He held up a hand, pointing straight at the tunnel. "It's that one."

The group turned to him, surprised looks on their face. "And how the hell do ya' know _that_ Urameshi?" Kuwabara folded his arms with a frown.

"See that?" He pointed to the symbol. "At the top, that lil marking? I saw it before, when we first entered this place, just before Hiei found the staircase."

Hiei arched a brow. "Is that all we have to go on? Who's to assume the puzzle is so simple. For all _you_ know, the other symbols might've been hidden around."

Yusuke turned to the swordsman. "Yeah, well, it wasn't exactly in plain sight. Like Kurama said, it's clear this guy wants us to progress, so why would he make it any harder than that? I'm lucky I even found that symbol, none of you guys saw it." He folded his arms. "'Sides, it's not like we have anything else to go on."

Kurama nodded. "He's right. It's the best lead we have. And worst comes to worst, we can hope that we're strong enough to take on any traps that might've been set for us."

Hiei frowned and let out a sharp breath. "I don't know why I let you drag me into these blind escapades..."

Yusuke smirked and began to head into the tunnel. "Cos you just love hangin' with us."

Hiei rolled his eyes and followed the teenager in, the others following suit. A heavy intimidating presence loomed over the group as they made their way into the large dark tunnel. The air was hot and thick, making it harder to breath.

Yusuke felt his chest tighten as beads of sweat began forming on his forehead. "Jeez it's hot..." He murmured through clenched teeth, tugging at his shirt.

Botan glanced around erratically at the surrounding darkness. "...Am I the only one who's feeling claustrophobic?"

Kurama let out a heavy sigh, frowning as he mopped sweat from his brow. "No. It's an energy draining trap, a very malicious one at that. It's fatiguing us. Just don't let your mind be taken by the paranoia, that's exactly what they want..."

Yusuke breathed sharply, clenching his teeth harder as he continued walking further into the darkness. The air became rapidly thicker and thicker as they moved onward, and he could feel his clothes begin to stick to his skin. His legs had become weak and shaky, and his heart was pounding in his ears. "Th-This is shit..." He growled. "...I feel like I'm gonna freakin die..."

The kitsune reached out in the darkness, lightly touching against Yusuke's back. "Just... k-keep walking..." Heavy breaths broke up his words. "...We'll reach the end eventually..."

A stumbling sound was heard behind them, followed by a feminine groan. Yusuke slowly glanced back with strained narrow eyes, but it was too dark to see. "B-Botan?"

A small whimper was heard in response. "Y-Yusuke... I... I can't move..."

The Spirit Detective growled sharply, clenching his hands into weak fists. "B-Babe! We... have to stop..." He hunched over slightly, sweat trickling off his face to the ground. His mouth was dry and his face flushed hot. The air seemed to be pressing down harder on them as every second passed.

"This is stronger... than I'd feared..." Kurama replied, holding a hand to his chest as he too stopped walking.

Yusuke turned round to face behind him, yet he couldn't see anyone in the darkness. "I-Is everyone there?"

A strained grunt was heard beside him, signifying Hiei's presence.

"I-I'm... I'm here bro..." Kuwabara replied weakly, his gravelly voice severely out of breath. The redhead clutched his head as he peered ahead of him, his sensitive eyes just able to make out the grey shapes of his team around him. "N-Now I know how it feels to be a chicken in the oven..."

Yusuke let out a quiet humoured breath. "Yo buddy... we need your help."

Kuwabara coughed and wiped sweat from out of his eyes. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah..." Yusuke sighed sharply, falling to one knee as his legs gave way. "...D'ya think you could... use your sword to cut through this shit...?"

"My sword? ...Would that work?"

Kurama hummed quietly. "Th-That's... not a bad idea Yusuke... If you have the energy Kuwabara... I believe your sword could rid us of this trap..."

The redhead chuckled weakly, licking his dry lips. "Alright... I'll try... anyone got any water?"

Hiei hissed, closing his eyes sharply. "D-Don't be ridiculous..."

Kuwabara pointed out in the darkness ahead. "Don't be an asshole, h-hamster legs... I'm the one... who's gonna get us outta this!" The tall teenager moved a hand shakily out to his side, feeling energy begin to tingle in his palm. He took a heavy breath, before tensing up his torso, biting his lip as he summoned his Spirit Energy into the hand. Sweat began to pour down over his eyes, and he bit hard into his lip as his body struggled desperately to bring the energy forth. A dim orange light began to fade into view around his hand, and a crackling beam of light formed slowly into the shape of his Spirit Sword.

"Come on man... you can do it!" Yusuke called out in a weak voice, his eyes struggling to stay open as he watched the sword appear.

Kuwabara gasped sharply and glared at the dim sword that had formed in his clenched hand. "I can't do it... I-I'm too weak..."

"Shut the hell up..." Yusuke growled in response. "...I know I joke about it... b-but come on, we both know you aint weak... so don't use that as an excuse, y-you lazy bastard!"

Kuwabara grit his teeth hard and strained even more, feeling his veins rise all over his body. "Coome ooon... you stupid fuckin' sword..." The sword began to slightly brighten, yellow energy sparking off it as it rose in power. As the orange light began to encompass him, Kuwabara could make out his teammates around him. Yusuke was hunched over in a crouched position, his eyes closed hard. Botan was slumped on the stone floor motionless, wet blue hair covering her face. Kurama was pushed up against the side of the tunnel, watching Kuwabara with narrow weak eyes. And even Hiei was hunched over, hands clasped to his chest as he struggled to stay upright. Kuwabara felt a sickening cold chill rush through him at the sight of them. They looked so weak, bathed in the orange light. Even Yusuke, his best friend, whose power was unstoppable, was hunched over on the floor like a dog in the desert, struggling to even breathe.

"N-No..." Kuwabara breathed sharply. He tensed his body harder, feeling a sharp heat sear his skin. There was no way he was going to let his friend die like this. It was down to him to save them, and if using up all his energy killed him, he'd happily do it if it meant they'd live. The teen began to groan deeply as the orange light around him brightened, and more energy sparked from the sword in his hand. His heart was beating impossibly fast, and sweat poured off his body like water. A soft humming sound filled the tunnel, its tone beginning to rise and ring faster in time with the ever brightening orange light. His energy was growing, but not fast enough. Kuwabara felt a pang of anger beat into his head, and he growled sharply. He wasn't going to let fatigue beat him. The heat was rising, and the teen was becoming more and more angry at how weak he was becoming. Frustration and fury boiled up in his chest, and hot breath began steaming from between his teeth. He couldn't hold it in anymore.

Clenching his eyes sharply, Kuwabara let the anger burst from his body, an impossible loud voice bellowing from his lungs. "COOOOME OOOOOON!" His lungs tightened as they released the huge gust of breath, and orange energy erupted from his body. His Spirit Sword lit up like fire, flames and sparks spinning from it like firecrackers. The blade doubled in length, distorting in shape like a huge flaming whip, a huge ground shaking hum emanating from its power. The teen moved the sword up above his head with his last remaining strength, taking a huge deep breath, before suddenly whipping it forward through the air with one final shout.

"GAAAHHHH!" The blade snapped down to the ground as he bellowed in anguish, hot air and light bursting from its path, pushing Yusuke back against the side of the tunnel. As the blade sliced down through the darkness a streak of white light ripped through the hot shadows, cool air flooding the tunnel at extreme velocity. The darkness was swept away by the angelic light with incredible speed, and the hot air was banished by the cool stream that burst down the tunnel. The incredible burst of light and energy lasted several seconds, before suddenly sucking back up into the Spirit Sword in the blink of an eye, an electrical buzzing sound coming from the blade as lit up from the absorbed light, before dissipating to thin air, leaving his hand empty. As quickly as it had come, the light and rush of air was gone, and everything had fallen silent.

Kuwabara felt his weight return to his body and the ground as his sword disappeared, and he blinked slowly, dumbstruck by what he'd witnessed just moments ago. The darkness was completely gone, as was the heat. The tunnel was now perfectly lit, and the end was visible ahead. Kuwabara felt his energy rushing back to his muscles, the heavy sweat drying from his skin in seconds, his hair quickly puffing back up into shape. He blinked a few more times, reaching up to press the back of his hand to his forehead. It was dry and cool.

He saw movement from the side of his eye, and he glanced over. Yusuke moved back from the side of the tunnel, standing and turning back to face Kuwabara, his eyes wide and alert. He too was dry and unfatigued, his hair gelled and combed perfectly as before.

"...You okay?" Kuwabara asked quietly, his face unchanging.

Yusuke blinked and held a hand to his temple. "Yeah I... I feel fine..."

The others began to stir, Hiei standing back up from the floor, brushing off his cloak, and Kurama rising from the other side, looking around with wide curious eyes. "Kuwabara, you did it." He glanced back to the readhead, a small smile touching his lips.

Kuwabara chuckled and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I did."

Yusuke headed over to Botan, who was slowly moving up from the ground, brushing her blue hair from out of her eyes. "You okay babe?" Yusuke asked gently, holding out a hand to her.

Botan peered up at him with large pink eyes, taking his hand and allowing him to help her up. "What happened...?"

Yusuke placed a hand against her waist and glanced over to Kuwabara with a grin. "Kuwabara just saved our asses."

Botan looked to Kuwabara. "All that light and yelling, that was you?"

Kuwabara chuckled a little. "Aheh, yeah, that was me... sorry if I yelled too loud."

Yusuke snorted and stepped up to Kuwabara, lightly punching his shoulder. "You're the freakin' man!"

The redhead grinned and rubbed his shoulder. "Aheh, just helpin' out where I can."

"Detective."

Yusuke glanced back to Hiei, who was looking down the tunnel. "The exit is there." The swordsman pointed to the far end of the tunnel.

Yusuke looked forward. At the far end of the tunnel were a set of huge red doors, a giant orb of light floating above it. The teen grinned and held out a fist. "Awesome!"

"Yusuke look." Botan tapped his shoulder.

Yusuke looked to Botan, who was pointing to the opposite end of the tunnel, from where they'd entered. He blinked and looked ahead. "What is it ba-..." His eyes widened, and he moved his head back in confusion. "What the hell!?"

The mouth of the tunnel from where they'd entered the darkness was just meters away. They'd barely even moved.

The others looked back, and Kuwabara scratched his head in confusion. "Woah... I think my brain is starting to fry."

"The trap was so powerful, it drained our energy fast enough that we believed we were walking a long distance, when in fact we'd barely moved from the entrance." Kurama noted, in his usual matter-of-fact way.

Yusuke shook his head, looking back toward the exit. "I've had enough of this goddamn freaky place. Let's just get this over with."

Hiei nodded, moving his hands into his pockets. "Agreed. I have no desire to stay here longer than we need to."

"Come on." Yusuke began to walk onward, the others following after him. "I'm gonna need some help with that big ass door."

Kuwabara grinned, eyeing the huge door as they approached it. "I got'cha covered."

They reached the far end and Yusuke stepped up to the doors. They were huge, spanning the entire size of the tunnel. They were made of an old rustic crimson metal, with large ornate handles near the centre of each. The handles were much lower than halfway up, and Yusuke could easily reach up and take hold of it, meaning they were clearly designed for someone of human size.

He tugged on the thick cold handle lightly, before looking back to Kuwabara. "Come on big guy. I hope you've been eatin' your greens."

Kuwabara chuckled and stepped up to take hold of the other handle. "Of course. I even brought some spinach with me, just in case."

Yusuke snorted and rolled his eyes, before bending his knees and preparing to pull. "Ready?"

Kuwabara nodded, and he too prepared to pull.

"Go." Yusuke pulled at the handle with all his weight, tugging the heavy door open with creak of strained metal. The teens slowly moved back as they used their weight to drag the hefty doors, until they almost touched the sides of the tunnel. Yusuke sighed as he released the handle, standing back upright and dusting off his hands, walking back to the centre. Behind the gaping doorway was more solid darkness.

"Oh goddamn, am I gonna have to use my sword to cut through this shit again?" Kuwabara groaned at seeing the darkness ahead.

Before anyone could reply, a sharp clicking sound was heard within, as if someone had snapped their fingers. Suddenly a dim light began to appear off in the distance, followed by another light that was closer, then another. More lights began to appear closer and closer, until there was no longer any darkness, and the group could clearly see the room ahead.

It was a huge long room, made entirely of white marble, with grand pillars lined along the left and right sides. At the far end was a small carpeted staircase, leading to another much smaller set of doors, seemingly made of solid gold.

"Wow..." Yusuke stepped in through the huge doorway and into the long room, glancing around with wide eyes. "This place is ritzy as fuck!"

"Like I said," Kurama stepped in after Yusuke, examining the ornate marble. "A lot of Demons seem to have a fascination with human culture. It's not untypical for a high-class Demon to imitate the extravagance of rich and powerful humans."

Hiei wandered in warily with narrow eyes, hands unmoving from his pockets. "Are we really dawdling over stupid aesthetics again?"

Yusuke waved a hand at the swordsman. "Come on then." He pushed onward and the group followed, their footsteps echoing through the clean marble hallway.

As they walked onward, Kuwabara moved a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He grunted a little, his brow furrowing. "Guys..."

Yusuke glanced back at his friend. "Yeah?"

Kuwabara stopped, glancing around them. "There's somethin' here..."

Kurama paused and turned back to face the redhead. "What do you sense Kuwabara?"

The tall teenager stood motionless for a moment, before suddenly stepping back, pointing a hand to the pillar beside Kurama. "MOVE!"

The Kitsune's eyes widened at Kuwabara's sudden warning, when out of nowhere he sensed a sudden sharp gust to his right. He jump rolled to the side without even turning to see what was there, using his hand to flip him back upright, landing square on his feet and sliding a few meters across the marble floor.

A sudden smash was heard behind him, and he turned back to see that a giant golden hammer had dropped exactly where he'd been standing, heavy cracks rooting out in the marble from the impact zone. The others jumped back from the hammer, and the weapon lifted itself back into the shadows.

"W-What was that!?" Botan gasped, grabbing hold of Yusuke's shoulder.

A huge deep chuckle growled out from the shadows, just as a huge looming figure appeared from behind one of the marble pillars. It stepped out into the light, revealing it's gargantuan form. A ten foot white Demon, coated in muscle, with shimmering silver eyes and impressive golden horns on either side of its head.

Yusuke growled, stepping forward with fists raised. "Looks like the welcoming party finally decided to drop by."

The giant beast snarled, before raising a huge clawed hand and snapping its fingers. The same clicking sound from before echoed throughout the hall. Suddenly more deep growls came from the pillars around them. Another Demon stepped out from the left, making its way behind the group. Then another stepped in from the opposite side, dragging a menacing scythe behind it, the blade screeching as it was pulled across the floor. A fourth Demon covered in piercings and gold bands stepped in to cover their other side, making the group surrounded.

Hiei tensed his jaw, slowly taking his hands out of his pockets and resting his fingers atop the handle of his sword. "Four. That makes one for each of us."

Kuwabara smirked, whipping out his right hand and summoning his own sword. "Ooh yeah."

Without warning, the Demon with the hammer swung its heavy weapon out toward Yusuke, grunting as its body was pulled by the weight. The Spirit Detective pushed Botan aside and jumped back to dodge the weapon, before using his powerful legs to sprint at the beast. He leapt up and into the creature's chest, delivering two rib crushing punches, his fists caving into the ribcage. The beast roared and doubled over, allowing Yusuke to land and smash another fist into the side of its throat, knocking the laryngeal prominence out of place. The Demon clasped at its throat as it was knocked to the side, only to receive another lightning punch that shattered its temple, driving shards of broken skull into its brain. The giant monster fell to the floor with a heavy thud, blood spraying from its nostrils.

Before the body even hit the ground, the Demon with the scythe engaged attack, roaring as it swung its bladed weapon at Hiei. The swordsman jumped over the blade as it slashed across under his feet. But the Demon was quick to heft the scythe back up over its head and deliver a strike down over the top of Hiei. Hiei flitted to the side as the weapon struck the ground, wedging the blade into the marble. Before the beast could pull it free, Hiei hopped up onto the back of the weapon, pulling his sword from its holster as he sprinted up the scythe to the Demon's head, plunging his blade into its throat. The end of the blade pushed out the back of the Demon's neck with a spurt of dark blood, and a foul gurgling sounded from the monster's throat. Hiei pulled his sword free and flipped back off the scythe, allowing the Demon to drop back dead.

While this happened, the Demon from behind rushed in to try and grab Kuwabara. But the redhead swiftly ducked beneath the monster's clawed hand, whipping up his Spirit Sword to slice through its wrist. The beast yelled as its severed hand fell to the floor, before slashing out with its other hand. Kuwabara ducked once again, kicking out at one of its legs and knocking the kneecap out of place. The monster was forced down to one knee, the ground trembling slightly under its weight. In one swift movement Kuwabara turned so that his back was facing the beast, throwing up his blade and catching it in his other hand, before stabbing it backwards from his hip, puncturing the Demon's chest and into its heart. It yelped loudly, and Kuwabara pulled the sword free without turning, the monster's corpse collapsing behind him.

Now only the largest Demon was left, covered in piercings. It glanced over its fallen brethren, before looking to Yusuke with enraged silver eyes, letting out a monstrous yowl. But before it could even react, Kurama released his Rose Whip out toward its throat, its thorned length wrapping tightly around it. The beast gasped and clutched at its throat, swinging out at Kurama with a large ornate mace. Kurama dodged the desperate attack and ran around the back of the Demon. The monster continued to struggled as the Kitsune sprinted round the back of one of the pillars, looping his whip round the structure to force the Demon backwards. The giant groaned as it was pulled until its back was against the pillar, clawing at the whip as thorns ripped into its neck.

Making his way back round to face the beast Kurama yanked on the whip, tightening it suddenly. The Demon was pulled back against the pillar harder, the force around its neck tightening so hard that it could no longer breath. With a strangled cry the monster swung desperately out with its mace, before the force of the tightened whip became too strong. In the blink of an eye the whip rushed back to Kurama's side, slicing through the Demon's neck like butter, a fountain of blood spraying from its neck stump. The decapitated head fell heavily to the floor and rolled into the shadows, and the headless body crumpled lifelessly.

As the last thud from the falling corpse echoed out along the hall, the long room once again fell into silence.

Hiei sighed quietly, flicking the blood off his sword and sheathing it. "We made quite the mess."

Kuwabara allowed his sword to dissipate, punching out at the air. "We're unstoppable!"

Yusuke looked to Botan, who had turned rather pale. "You shoulda closed your eyes..." Yusuke tensed his jaw a bit, cupping her chin.

Botan shook her head, smiling a little. "I'm not afraid of blood, I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Yusuke tilted his head. "Yeah? You never seemed bothered before."

The reaper frowned. "Of course I was! I just... didn't want to make things, you know... obvious."

Yusuke grinned. "It's okay, I was just kiddin'." He then looked back to his friends.

Kurama collected his whip up into his sleeve, and peered over to the doorway at the far end. "A grand guarded entrance to a doorway of gold... I have a feeling we might have finally reached our destination."

"It's about time." Yusuke chimed sarcastically, clicking his neck from side to side. He turned to face the doorway, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. "Ready to finish this shit?"

Kuwabara stepped up beside Yusuke. "Hell yeah."

Hiei too stepped forward, along with Kurama. "I'm ready Detective." The swordsman nodded firmly to Yusuke.

"Let's finish this." Kurama's emerald eyes shimmered at the Detective.

Yusuke nodded to his teammates, before looking back to the door and heading down the hall toward it, leaving the mess of blood and corpses behind them.

* * *

 **Wow, I worked hard on this chapter! Next chapter is when the main bad guy will finally be revealed ;3 It's not anyone from the series, just a character I made up for this story.**

 **I'm so glad you guys are enjoyin this story! Your reviews really mean a lot to me. I'll be sure to whack up the next chapter soon ^ ^**


	9. Tall Man

**Chapter 9 – Tall Man**

The group headed up the soft carpeted staircase and came face to face with two glistening gold doors, their surface clean as mirrors. Yusuke stepped forward and reached out to the door, only to be stopped by Botan, who reached out and grabbed his wrist. He blinked and looked to the ferry-girl, and was met by a pair of wide scared rose eyes. Botan stared at Yusuke in silence, her lip twitching a little. "...I love you..."

Yusuke felt a tugging in his throat as he reached out and pushed a strand of blue hair behind her ear. "I love you too."

A pained expression took over Botan's face as she squeezed his wrist, before murmuring under her breath. "Please be careful..."

Her plead sent a chill through Yusuke's body, but he calmly placed his other hand atop hers, allowing a soft grin to touch his lips. "With you at my side, I'm invincible."

With a quiet sigh Botan leant forward, kissing his lips, before releasing his hand and smiling gently. Yusuke grinned back, before looking back to the golden door. There were no visible handles on the door, it was just a plain smooth surface. He reached out and pressed his hand against the metal, surprised to find that it was warm to the touch. He spent a moment looking for some way to pull it open, before deciding to push firmly against the door. The gold door shifted easily under his force, and both pushed ajar in prefect synchrony, despite him only pushing one. He continued to push until both the doors were wide open, revealing a small dark room within. He stepped inside, setting foot in a very dark and warm room.

It was an average size, with a red carpet leading across from the doorway to a large elaborate wooden throne about twenty feet ahead. The sides and far end of the room were shrouded in shadow, and only a single weak orb of light hovered over the throne.

Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama fanned out beside Yusuke, while Botan stayed behind the males, shielded by them. The Spirit Detective looked around with a frown, slowly taking a few steps toward the throne, his footsteps muffled by the luxurious carpet. "Yo, anybody home?" He spoke out in his usual brash voice, his eyes searching for any signs of life in the dark room. There was no response, and the teen boy sighed quietly, folding his arms with an impatient frown. "We just dragged our asses through a lotta shit to get here, least you could do is be here when we arrive."

Botan winced at Yusuke's brash retort. He always treated everyone the same, regardless of their status or reputation. It was an admirable, but potentially dangerous habit.

A few seconds passed, when a sequence of quiet cracking sounds were heard ahead, almost like the sound of several wishbones being broken. It was then followed by a light raspy breath. Yusuke flinched at hearing the sound, feeling a presence enter the room in the darkness behind the throne. As if from thin air, two large yellow eyes opened up from within the shadow. The Spirit Detective felt a sickly dropping sensation in his stomach, stepping back a little at seeing the eyes. They were huge and bulbous with oval pupils, like the eyes of a giant grotesque fish.

"Hello..." A soft hoarse voice whispered in accompaniment to the eyes, with an almost nervous tone.

Yusuke gritted his teeth, allowing his arms to move to his sides as he gained a strong front-on posture. "...You gotta be the tall guy?"

A few more excited breaths were heard, when the eyes suddenly began to rise up above the throne with a sickly creaking sound, towering over the group. The creature was still completely concealed in shadow, but must've been at least nine feet tall. "Yes, I am very tall..." The being leaned in from over the throne, allowing the dim light in the centre of the room to give shape to its upper body. The face was still shrouded in shadow, but strands of long thin greasy hair hung limply from its head. It had stiff skinny shoulders, and a pair of long lanky arms could just be seen hanging down either side of its body. It didn't seem to be dressed in any clothing, and its body was oily black and skeletal. "...Do you like my abode? I went to a lot of work to make your visit... memorable."

Yusuke snorted. "Yeah, I like the pad. Can't say the hospitality was somethin' I'd like to experience again though."

A small dry chuckle was heard, the bulbous yellow eyes half closing, as if the creature was pulling a face of humour. "I was impressed by you all. The rumours of your power are not exaggerated." The focus of the eyes then moved over Yusuke's shoulder and to Kuwabara. "...I was especially impressed with _you._ I didn't expect much, you being a pure-blood human without even a title of status within the Spirit World. But your performance in my tunnel trap was... _exhilarating_. I clearly underestimated your power."

Kuwabara grimaced, pointing toward the tall Demon. "People underestimate how strong I am a lot. But you better not underestimate how hard we're gonna kick your ass!"

Tall Man moved its head back, seemingly taken aback. It then looked back to Yusuke. "Well... I could only dream of having such loyal companions. Too bad they won't be able to save you here..." The words trailed off to a wispy growl as its shadowy figure began to float up above the throne, hugely long arms moving out to its sides, its hands opening up into stretched bony fingers. Suddenly the yellow eyes widened, and the creature flitted toward Yusuke with incredible speed.

Yusuke didn't have a chance to prepare for the sudden attack, and could hardly make out the moving figure in the dim light. The same quick cracking sound was heard rushing toward him, when a sudden whoosh of air came his way. His Demon reflexes were sharp enough that he quickly dodged under a fast punch at his head. But in the time that he dodged, a second attack was already thrown, a crunching kick into his stomach. Yusuke gasped as he was knocked back from the kick, completely losing his breath as his body was caught by Kuwabara and Kurama. He winced, growling as he glared at the yellow eyes. "Lucky shot..." He stood back up straight and dusted off his arms. "...But don't expect any more sneaky wins. Now we fight for real." With that said he quickly jumped forward toward the throne, lunging a fist out at Tall Man.

The creature flitted back and dodged the punch, just as another punch was thrown. It dodged the second one, and then moved low to dodge a third right hook. But the third punch was a fake, and Yusuke had lunged out with his other fist at the same time, striking a hard blow into, what he could guess, was the creature's stomach. He felt its bony frame cave in from the punch, and dry leathery skin rippled in reaction to the contact.

Tall Man stumbled back from the hit without a sound. Its inhuman face twisted grotesquely, the eyes wincing tightly. "Clever..." It wasted no time in launching another attack, swinging out a large outstretched hand at Yusuke. The teen jumped to the side and dodged the attack. But in the blink of an eye the creature's thin nails suddenly grew in length, reaching out to make contact with Yusuke's chest as he moved from the attack. They ripped clean through his shirt and grazed his flesh, causing him to stumble back and wince.

"Ack!" He groaned sharply, the flesh on his chest turning hot and numb as it swelled from the attack, beads of hot blood trickling down his skin. "Fuck you!" He growled, jumping at Tall Man and bringing up his knee to the Demon's chest.

The large black hand pushed back against Yusuke's knee as Tall Man moved back from the attack, and he struck out with the other hand to try and claw at the teen again. Yusuke fired up his right arm to knock aside the huge hand, and launched a powerful punch straight at Tall Man's face. He felt his knuckle connect with the dry skin of the Demon's thin face, a sharp cracking sensation erupting under the flesh as he punched into it.

Tall Man gasped out harshly, and Yusuke felt a hot liquid spray down his forearm. Without warning the Demon smashed out with its leg, a dark purple aura of energy enveloping its strangely shaped foot as it made contact with Yusuke's stomach. The teen flew to the far side of the room with incredible force, cracking the hard wall as his back smashed into it. He collapsed to the floor as pain shot up his spine, and he grimaced and writhed in the shadow.

"You broke my jaw..." Tall Man whispered quietly, its voice almost resembling that of an upset child.

"D-Don't worry..." Yusuke murmured, glaring across the room from the floor. "...I-It's not like you could get any uglier..."

The tall Demon spat like a fierce cat, as more purple energy began to form around its body. In almost invisible speed, shards of bright purple light shot out from the Demon's body, scattering across the room. The others in the gang dropped to the ground to dodge the shards as they flew, though the ones heading Yusuke's way homed straight down to him. He pushed himself up from the ground to dodge a few as they came his way, feeling a couple sharp streaks of heat rush across his side. He winced and held a hand to his side, feeling more hot blood ooze out from his ripped shirt.

Tall Man's yellow eyes narrowed as he whipped out his hands, firing two more purple shards at Yusuke. The teen swiftly ducked his head to dodge one, and turned his body to the side as the other passed mere centimetres away from his throat, lodging itself into the wall. He grabbed the shard and pulled it free, turning back to face his assailant with a deathly glare. The shard felt hard and sharp edged like flint, and was ice cold against his skin. With a grunt he threw it back forward, launching the shard like a shuriken at Tall Man. The lanky Demon barely had time to move, flailing out a large hand to shield its face. The shard stabbed straight into the flesh of the hand, lodging itself in the palm. The creature hissed hoarsely in pain, unknowing that Yusuke had sprinted forward as it was distracted, jumping up and firing out his knee. The brunt of the knee attack smashed onto the same hand and knocked it forward, forcing the shard straight toward the Demon's face. But Tall Man was quick to move its head away from the shard as it came forward, though the very tip sliced across its right cheek. Another hiss was heard, the bulbous yellow eyes squinting in pain. Another powerful kick was fired out as Yusuke landed on his feet, knocking him straight back into the wall he'd been thrown at before.

"Nice try, Spirit Detective..." The creature calmly pulled the shard from its hand with a crude squelching sound, before throwing it straight back at Yusuke. The glowing weapon whistled toward him like a bullet, but as it came within three feet from his head a shadow shot past from nowhere, knocking it aside with a sharp clang.

"Enough." The stern voice of Hiei spoke out from the shadows. "The fight ends now."

Tall Man paused its attack as its yellow eyes glanced around the room eerily. "Oh good. The others finally decide to participate... show yourself."

A few seconds of silence passed, when a sharp slicing sound was heard, a flash of metal cutting by in front of the Demon's face. A thump was heard from the shadows, and Tall Man held up its left hand. Yet there was no longer a hand there. The dark appendage ended at the wrist, and a liquid could vaguely be seen spurting from it. But the Demon didn't make a sound, only stared at its handless arm in silence, an expression of disgust frozen onto its eyes.

"Woah..." Kuwabara quietly gasped.

Kurama frowned seriously, squinting a bit at the Demon shrouded in shadow. "Why isn't he reacting..."

Another moment of silence passed, when once more the tell-tale whoosh and glint of Hiei's sword was seen, heading through the shadow toward Tall Man's head. But without even looking the Demon swung out the dismembered wrist, smashing Hiei out from the shadow. The fire Demon yelped as he smashed back into the throne, knocking off one of chair's arms as he hit the floor hard.

" _Slow creature..._ " Tall Man croaked out in a raspy disturbing tone, its voice suddenly much deeper than before. It creaked over to the spot Hiei lay, its shadowy body leaning in over the smaller Demon. The eyes grew huge and the pupils dilated, a sudden inhuman hissing sound emanating through the room. About a dozen squirming shapes suddenly peeled out from the Demon's chest like huge tarantula legs, wrapping themselves around Hiei's unconscious body. Tall Man rose back up to its full height and pulled Hiei with it, the arms leading him up to the head, and what they could only assume would be the creature's mouth.

"GET OFF HIM!" A strong rough voice shouted out as Kuwabara charged toward them, his Spirit Sword crackling into life. He swung out at the tarantula arms, slicing a few of them off. Tall Man screeched out in a horrendous high-pitched cry as dark blood spat out from the inhuman limbs. Hiei was dropped back to the ground, and Kuwabara rushed over to grab hold of his cloak, pulling his limp body as he ran back to the front of the room where Kurama and Botan were stood. The redhead pushed Hiei up against the wall behind them to keep him from harm's way, before looking back to Tall Man. The Demon was continuing to let out monstrous screams as its injured appendages flapped around it. "I'm gonna get Urameshi, he's too hurt to fight." Kuwabara looked back to Kurama.

The Kitsune nodded firmly. "Okay. I'll distract the beast while you do."

"Right." Kuwabara nodded back, before glancing back toward the Demon. Waiting until the creature was facing away from them, he ran out in the direction of where Yusuke had been thrown. His sharp spirit awareness could vaguely make out Yusuke's slumped form within the unnatural darkness.

A sharp whipping sound was heard from the back of the room, and Kuwabara looked over to see that Kurama was now in front of Tall Man, his Rose Whip in hand. The creature fired its blood-spurting limbs at the fox Demon, and Kurama was quick to dodge them as they came, whipping at them where he could.

Kuwabara hummed in confidence, before turning back ahead and continuing to run to Yusuke's side. He reached his friend who was slumped back against the cracked wall, blood spilling down his chest and right side, staining his ripped shirt. "Hey, buddy!" Kuwabara lightly slapped Yusuke's cheek.

Yusuke winced and weakly moved his head to the side. "Lay off man..."

The redhead grinned a little, relieved that Yusuke was still conscious. "You okay? How bad are you hurt?"

Yusuke grunted gruffly. "The cuts are okay, but my back is killing me..."

Kuwabara looked over the injured boy. He could see the cracks in the wall from where Yusuke had made impact. "I'll carry you back to the door, me and Kurama will finish this."

Yusuke winced a little as he pushed himself up from the wall. "Forget it bro, I-" He was suddenly cut off by a monstrous voice over Kuwabara's head.

" _YOU'RE MINE."_

The two boys looked up with wide eyes as the crunching running sound came up behind them, to see Tall Man suddenly looming over them, its eyes huge and dilated. Kurama was hoisted up by its side, struggling as one of the monstrous spider-arms tightened around his neck.

"Fuck off!" Yusuke yelled, lifting his hand and firing a few Spirit Shots at the Demon. They made impact with the Demon's chest, spraying dark blood onto the floor. But it never made a sound. It simply lifted its appendage and threw Kurama at the same wall, the fox Demon crying out as he smashed into it, falling to the ground.

"Kurama!" Kuwabara made to run to Kurama, but was blocked by several spider-like arms that flew in his path at Yusuke, wrapping themselves around him and lifting him up.

Yusuke growled and spat at the Demon as he struggled to get free, summoning an aura of Spirit Energy to shock the Demon. Tall Man's eyes widened as it was shocked by the energy, a deep croaky chuckle grinding from his throat. "That's right, _feed_ me with your energy. It won't be able to save you. I will only absorb your futile attacks."

"Get off him!" Kuwabara yelled, lunging at the limbs to slice them down. But the huge insectoid arms smashed him back up against the wall, pinning him in place. The two boys struggled against the Demon, unable to free themselves from its grasp.

"Ready to give up, small creature?" Tall Man hissed inhumanly, bringing its shrouded face inches from Yusuke's, its huge eyes swallowing up his vision.

He shivered as its cold foul breath brushed over his face. "Brush your teeth you piece a shit, jesus!"

Tall Man's eyes narrowed impatiently. "Fine. I'll skip the pleasantries..." It continued to stare into Yusuke's eyes as its voice trailed off, before flicking its bulbous eyes to its left. Its head followed suit, a hideous cracking sound coming from its neck as it moved in an eerie mechanical motion. An excited gasp growled from its mouth as it seemed to focus on something.

Yusuke looked in the direction the Demon was focused. He felt his stomach drop when he saw what the creature was looking at. A frightened blue-haired reaper, stood at the front doors, unprotected and alone as she attempted to stay hidden in the shadows.

"BOTAN!" The detective yelled out. He heard Botan gasp as he shouted, and she moved back further into the shadows against the wall.

A disgusting hoarse chuckle sounded from Tall Man's throat as it moved its body to face her, slowly making its way to the front doors, its limbs creaking as it crept through the shadow carrying Yusuke. "Don't mind me," it growled, glancing back to Yusuke momentarily. "I'll get back to you soon enough. Just let me deal with _this_ one first..."

Yusuke yelled out again, but his voice was cut short as a spidery arm constricted around his neck, strangling him quiet. Heat rose to his face as he tensed, only able to watch with wide eyes as the Demon closed in on Botan, its eyes growing wider, and breath becoming louder with every step.

* * *

 **I'm sorry this chapter is so late! I'm happy I finally managed to get it finished and up, I hope you enjoyed it ^ ^**

 **As you've probably guessed, this Tall Man guy is the OC that I mentioned in the story description. I admit, I quickly thought him up as an afterthought, since I needed a villain for this chapter xD But I tried to keep him as original and cool as I could, I didn't wanna just spew out some generic bullshit that's probably already been seen in the series.**


	10. Unveiling The Truth

**Chapter 10 – Unveiling The Truth**

" _Fuck you, you asshole! I'll rip your freakin head off!"_

Yusuke croaked out, his voice almost inaudible as his throat was restricted by one of Tall Man's spidery arms. He tried desperately to break free from the grasp, but could hardly wiggle beneath its tight confines. He felt his heart sink as the Demon carrying him came to a halt. The small shape of a blue-haired girl was huddled in the shadow about ten feet ahead, seemingly frozen with fear.

"Mmm, I bet you'll be a delicious little snack. I've never eaten the flesh of an oar rider..." Saliva dripped from Tall Man's unseen mouth as it leered in over the reaper girl.

A pair of scared eyes glinted in the dim light, focusing on the struggling form of Yusuke. The Spirit Detective shivered as he felt her eyes move to him, and he attempted to call out to her. _"Run..."_ He hissed hoarsely with all the air he could muster, feeling his lungs begin to sting. He could make out Botan's eyes widening slightly at his words, and she shuffled further back against the wall. He let out an exasperated growl, angry that she wasn't moving. "RUN! NOW!" He could force no air from his throat, he simply mouthed the words, begging her to run.

Tall Man was continuing to lean in closer to the shadow where she hid, its bones creaking disturbingly. "Yes, that's it... just stay where you are... good little rabbit..." The Demon whispered under its cold breath, its eyes narrowing as if a huge smile had spanned its lips.

Botan looked back to Yusuke who was continuously mouthing the same words to her, his face purple from lack of air. She continued to stare at him for a few moments, before slowly looking back to the shrouded face of Tall Man. Her eyes began to resume their normal size as the expression of fear left her, and she slowly stood tall from her hiding position. Tall Man ceased its advancing as a seemingly confused expression took over its mostly hidden face.

Suddenly Botan bolted from the shadow, coaxing a gasp from the Demon's lips. Yusuke felt his stomach tighten as Botan ran. But not in the direction he'd wanted. Instead of running away from the Demon, she was running _directly_ toward it. A furious scowl took over her face as she sprinted close to the shadowy creature, before skidding to a halt and sending a powerful roundhouse kick straight into what she hoped would be the Demon's knee. "KYAH!" Her foot made contact with a surprisingly hard surface, and much to her surprise, smashed straight through it. She gasped as her sneaker travelled though the hard limb as if it were made from china, a shattering sound echoing through the room. The sounds of small objects hitting the floor could be heard, followed by a horrific ear-piercing scream. Botan yelled out and fell backward, holding her hands to her ears as the inhuman noise rattled her eardrum.

"GAH!" Yusuke gasped out as warm air instantly filled his lungs. The spidery arm had suddenly released him, allowing him to fall to the ground like a heavy rock. He grunted in pain and slowly turned himself over to look up at Tall Man.

The lanky Demon was shaking violently, its limbs rattling as it held them up in solid tense positions. Its eyes were fully closed, and in a few momentary glints of light Yusuke could make out small sharp teeth in a wide open mouth, from where the scream emanated. The monstrous sound subsided and the Demon hunched away from them, hissing and crying out painfully.

Yusuke pushed himself up from the floor and onto a knee, looking over to Botan. "What did you do!?" He yelled out in a hoarse voice, wincing as a tight pain filled his chest from his lungs.

Botan quickly looked over to Yusuke, before jogging to him. "Yusuke!" She reached down and helped him up from his slumped position, stroking a hand down his cheek. "Are you okay!?"

"I'm fine baby," he grunted. "What the hell did you do to that guy?"

"I kicked him..." Botan looked back to the Demon. "I think I broke his leg. It felt so weird though, like his legs were hard and fragile..."

Yusuke curled one of his hands into a tight fist. "Well whatever happened, looks like it hurt him." He looked to Botan with a small grin, relieved that she'd managed to escape what he'd feared would be certain death. "I'm so glad you're okay..." He stroked a hand down the girl's arm, bringing a soft smile to her lips.

"Of course I'm fine sweetie! I'm not _completely_ helpless, I have my own set of ass-kicking skills you know! How else do you think I've survived all this time with you boys?"

Yusuke chuckled, looking back to Tall Man. The skinny Demon was still turned away, hacking and growling to itself, obviously in pain. "Guess I better go break his other leg."

Botan nodded, holding a hand out in a fist in front of her. "Yes! Kick his butt!"

Yusuke grinned and winked at the reaper girl. "Don't go anywhere, might need ya for back up!" He then looked back to Tall Man, and started a full sprint at the Demon.

Tall Man remained turned away as the Detective gained in on his slumped form, seemingly unaware that he was coming. Yusuke could make out its skinny form in the dim light, and its tall skinny legs were left completely unguarded. Tall Man stood lopsided, and it was obvious where Botan had broken the left leg. As he was about to reach the tall Demon, Yusuke turned his body to face the right leg, before jumping and bringing his foot up into a powerful kick. But just as his foot connected with the limb, a sudden sheen of purple energy burst from the shadow, enveloping the Demon's lower-half. A powerful shockwave shook up Yusuke's leg, knocking him backward and flat onto his back.

"I thought you said 'no more sneaky wins'..." Tall Man hissed like some horrendous snake, turning back to face Yusuke with a long crack of its neck. The Demon turned its body and slowly stood, its eyes wide and almost completely black from hugely dilated pupils.

Yusuke wasn't sure what it was, but for some strange reason the Demon seemed slightly smaller than before. Not just because it stance was on a tilt from the broken leg, but even its gangly limbs looked shorter than before. Its entire bottom half was alight with a sheet of purple energy that encased its legs like translucent armour. It had obviously anticipated Yusuke's method of attack.

With a sharp creak of bone it suddenly flung out its intact hand, the arm stretching in length as it flew toward Yusuke. The teen shot up from the ground and jumped aside to dodge the hand. The appendage then changed course with the precision of serpent, now stretching toward Botan. The fingers stretched out open and the sharp nails doubled in length, ready to skewer the blue-haired girl. She swiftly cart-wheeled to the side as it reached her, hopping back upright and kicking up at the growing arm as it moved past her. Tall Man growled as she kicked its skinny arm, moving it back a little. It quickly retracted the entire limb with a bony crack, clenching its large hand out in front of it.

"Try that again, you creep!" Botan yelled to the Demon with a glare.

Tall Man frowned at the girl, a guttural growl gurgling from its throat. While the Demon was focused on Botan, Yusuke quickly raised his right hand with his finger outstretched, a sudden orb of blue energy blooming from the tip of his index. It speedily grew to the size of one of the Demon Generators, and he released it with a sharp blasting sound. The lanky Demon turned just as the ball of Spirit Energy gained in on it, its eyes widening as it struck. The shot smashed straight in Tall Man's chest, sending him flying back into the shadow with a sharp yelp.

Yusuke charged on after the flying Demon, following his Spirit Shot through the dark room. There was dull crunching sound as Tall Man smashed into the back wall of the room, a sharp hiss leaving its lips. The purple shield surrounding its legs fizzled away as it hit the wall, leaving the limbs unprotected once more as it crumpled to the floor. Yusuke began the attack he'd attempted before, running toward the slumped Demon, jumping up over its skinny body and preparing to smash his foot down on the leg.

But just as before the purple shield returned, the energy's power jolting Yusuke back through the darkness and to the ground.

Tall Man stood back up from the ground with creaking limbs, cracking its neck to the side with a hiss. " _So persistent._ "

Yusuke growled and pushed his torso up with an elbow, holding out his right hand and firing a few Spirit Shots at the Demon's face. The first two made direct impact, causing Tall Man to reel back with a screech. But it was quick to knock away the rest with its hand, more purple energy shielding it from the attacks. Yusuke jumped up from the ground to his feet, holding up his fists as the Demon began to approach him with slow limping movement, its eyes narrow and fierce. The long spidery arms splayed out around its body like the legs of a tarantula ready to attack.

The Spirit Detective readied his body to sprint at the Demon, looking over its shadowed body as he planned his attack. That's when he noticed something peculiar about its shielded legs. They were very and misshapen and inhuman, there weren't even any visible knees. They were just long thin shapes that it slid along the floor almost like brooms, they had no real movement.

"What's wrong, too scared to move...?"

Yusuke flicked his gaze back to Tall Man's face as he heard its hissing voice. He snorted and pointed at the tall creature. "I'm just waitin' for your slow ass."

Tall Man growled, before darting toward Yusuke without another word. Yusuke ducked low as the Demon's large hand swiped across over his head. A few of the spider arms shot out as Yusuke ducked and wrapped around him, attempting to hoist him up. But before they could lift him from the ground, Yusuke fired a Spirit Shotgun into the bundle of limbs, ripping them apart. Dark blood splattered over his face as the arms fell to the ground, and Tall Man's body rattled in pain. It sent out more arms that wrapped around Yusuke's arms, preventing him from being able to shoot them off. The arms pulled Yusuke up to Tall Man's head height, and he felt a rush of rancid breath brush over his face as the yellow eyes dilated to full black.

A sudden sharp sound of a cracking whip shocked Yusuke's eardrums from just inches away, and he was dropped back to the floor. The spider-like arms fell to ground with him, dismembered and twitching. Tall Man began to rattle and screech again, just as a red flash darted through the air over Yusuke's head, smashing Tall Man's head to the side with it. Tall Man yelped and reeled to the side, holding its hand to its face. Another whipping sound then cracked through the air as a long green whip wrapped itself around the Demon's throat. Tall Man let out a strangled growl as it was pulled forward by the whip and toward the centre of the room where the dim orb of light floated. Tall Man resisted desperately, seemingly afraid to leave the shadows.

The elegant form of Kurama left the shadows and stepped into the light, his feminine face scrunched as he pulled hard on his Rose Whip. Afraid to be pulled any further, Tall Man reached out its hand, the arm stretching toward Kurama in lightning speed. But just as the hand entered the light, a flash of metal glinted from the darkness, and the Demon's arm fell limply to the ground, completely sliced off from its body. Another horrifying scream filled the room as bundles of thin spidery limbs shot into the light toward Kurama. The small dark form of Hiei flitted in front of Kurama as the arms erupted from the darkness, brandishing his sword as they closed in on him. They were instantly sliced to bloody pieces just a foot from his stony face, dark blood splattering off his cold blade.

Kurama pulled harder on the whip and the tip of Tall Man's head entered the light, a few strands of long greasy hair clearly visible from the edge of the shadow. Another yell of resistance gurgled from Tall Man, and another spider arm shot forward. This one was thicker than the rest, and was tipped with a fearsome black claw the size of a steak knife. The arm dodged past Hiei's blade and stabbed itself into Kurama's shoulder. The Fox Demon cried out as he was lifted up above the orb of light, the claw puncturing through the other side of his shoulder with a painful popping sound as his capsular joint was dislocated. But despite the agony, the kitsune continued to pull on the whip, his eyes ferociously narrow.

Tall Man let out a few dry gasps as the whip pulled tighter around its neck, pulling its entire head into the light. Only the back of its head could be seen, and the long hair hid its face. Droplets of black liquid could be seen spilling to the ground from its throat as the whip's thorns threatened to slice into its neck.

Hiei swiftly moved in to attack the creatures head, swinging his sword down on the skinny dome repeatedly. But his blade was unable to even faze the creature. Pieces of hairs and droplets of blood came off as he sliced down on it, but he could do no serious damage to the Demon's skull.

"I got'cha Kurama!" Yusuke yelled out, raising his hand and firing a Spirit shot at the thick tarantula arm that was holding him up in the air. It sliced straight through the limb, dropping Kurama to the ground. Tall Man took this opportunity to duck back away into the shadow, but Kurama quickly landed onto his feet, pulling the Rose Whip harder than before. Tall Man yowled in strangled pain as it was forced back into the light, unable to keep itself in the shadow anymore. Kurama pulled its body out from the darkness, revealing its hideously skinny back. Its black oily skin glistened in the light like leather, under which its ribs and sharp spine were clearly visible.

"Help us Yusuke!" Kurama yelled out, his emerald eyes glinting in the Detective's direction. "His legs are a weak point, the light will destroy his energy shield."

Yusuke nodded, running into the light and toward the huge skinny creature. Hiei was still slashing the creature with his blade, now down its neck and back. But the leathery skin seemed impenetrable, Tall Man didn't even seem to be reacting to it.

The swordsman growled and glanced Yusuke's way. "This is starting to annoy me. Attacking the legs _better_ work, I'm sick of this foul creature."

Yusuke lifted his shoulders, glancing in the direction of the shielded legs. "Definitely seemed to bust his ass when Botan did it. And he seems pretty adamant about keeping them protected." Hiei simply hummed skeptically in response, and Yusuke ran round to Tall Man's head, grabbing hold of a few strands of its hair. They were thin and greasy, almost slipping through his fingers like slimy snakes. But he got a good grip and began to pull as hard as he could. "Haul ass you skinny bastard, or I'll blast your eyes out!"

The Demon grunted in response, its body shaking as it struggled to resist against Kurama and Yusuke's combined strength. It let out a long groan, its bony limbs rattling as it used the last of its energy to attempt to keep its legs concealed from the light. A sudden rush of black blood splattered to the floor as the Rose Whip pinched the Demon's neck impossibly thin. With that, Tall Man's body seemed to give up resistance, and its lanky form was dragged from the shadow and into the light. It twisted its body round so that its back was against the floor, just as its head left the light and into the shadow on the other side of the light beam. Its hips and legs lay centre to the light, and with a fizzle of purple smoke the shield de materialised, leaving Tall Man's legs unprotected.

"Got'cha!" Yusuke yelled out, letting go of the greasy hair as he joined Hiei in the light to begin attacking the vulnerable legs. But once he reached the legs he stopped dead in his tracks. He felt a sickening lurch in his stomach as he stared at the creature's lower half with wide eyes.

Tall Man didn't have any legs. In fact, its body seemed to be cut short just at the hips. Instead of legs, two long artificial appendages were crudely stapled and hooked into the creatures bony abdomen.

Skulls. They were made from skulls. They varied in size and shape, and most were Demon skulls. But some were even human. Two misshapen fake legs, made entirely from skulls, like a pair of disgusting stilts.

"What... the fuck..." Yusuke wretched a little as he looked over the horrific stilts. Even Hiei had gone dead silent, his eyes wider than usual and face ghostly pale.

"A head-hunter Demon..." Kurama muttered under his breath as he too looked in the direction of the legs, an expression of disbelief on his face.

A foul hacking sound came from Tall Man's throat as it moved its head up to look at Yusuke, its yellow eyes glowing in the shadow. "Looks like you've... ack... discovered my secret..."

"What the fuck is this...?" Yusuke asked quietly, looking to Tall Man's eyes.

"He's a head-hunter Demon," Kurama responded quietly. "They're extremely rare. They're driven by the insatiable desire to kill powerful Demons, and then steal their heads. They find some way to attach the heads to their own bodies, in turn absorbing the power of the Demon's they've killed."

Yusuke grit his teeth as he looked back over Tall Man's body. "Jeez, I'm glad we destroyed those Generators. Imagine if a Demon like this got into our world..."

A quiet grinding laugh growled from Tall Man's mouth, its skinny body pulsating with the expense of air. "Y-You're so young and naïve..." Glints of sharp teeth from a wide crooked grin could be seen in the dim light. "...As if I care about escaping to the Human World... w-what would I desire to do there?"

Yusuke frowned. "...What are you talkin' about?"

Tall Man spluttered in humour at Yusuke's response. "If I was truly serious about my plan with the Generators, do you really think I'd have devised such a weak plan of defence? This task was easy for you because I _wanted_ it to be easy for you..." The tall Demon slowly moved its shoulders up from the ground with a long creak of bones. "...I needed some way to lure you here... Your head will make a perfect addition to my collection. And the heads of your friends are a lovely bonus..." Suddenly, several thin spidery limbs shot out from Tall Man's chest, wrapping themselves around Yusuke's arms and torso. Hiei and Kurama were also captured by more arms, unable to escape as they were constricted and lifted up from the ground. Tall Man slowly stood from the ground and resumed a tall posture, its eyes bulbous and hungry as it looked over the faces of its struggling captors.

"With your combined power, I will be _unstoppable_..."

Yusuke writhed under the Demon's tight grip as he was brought in toward Tall Man's head. Glinting teeth winked in the darkness as Tall Man's mouth grew to an impossible size. A gush of cold foul air rushed over Yusuke's face as he was brought closer to the gaping maw, the stench of death overpowering his senses.

"Yo! You forget about me!?"

Tall Man stopped as a gruff voice shouted out from the darkness. It hesitated, its huge eyes flicking around the room, just as a beam of bright orange light flashed beneath Yusuke and across the Demon's grotesque stilts. A shattering sound filled the room, and Tall Man's body suddenly dropped a good five feet, an impossibly loud scream gushing from its wide mouth.

Yusuke, Hiei and Kurama were released from its grasp, yelling out as they were dropped to the ground, quickly covering their ears. Tall Man fell to the ground among a litter of dry broken skull, its handless arms limbs shaking in pain. Its body suddenly began to wither in size, every one of its limbs quickly retracting inwards until it had shrunk from its former intimidating size to nothing more than the size of a tall human.

"Shut up!" Kuwabara yelled out, shoving the Demon's back and forcing it head down onto the ground, before relentlessly stamping on the remaining skulls, smashing them under his sneaker. Tall Man continued to scream in horror as it legs were shattered, its body continuing to shrink with every broken skull. Before long, Kuwabara had broken all but one of the skulls hideously stapled to its waist. He looked over the Demon's shaking, and now much smaller form, a glare taking over his face. "Not so tall now, huh!" He lifted his leg once more, and in one swift movement he stamped down on the last skull, a burst of purple smoke shooting out from it as it popped under his weight.

The Demon's shrinking accelerated suddenly, the screaming becoming higher in pitch as its body sunk to the size of a child. The now legless Demon turned onto it side and huddled into a foetal position, its body shaking as it whimpered, hiding its face with its bony stumped wrists.

The others got up from the ground, moving their hands away from their ears. Kuwabara looked to them with a small smirk, and they moved in to examine the withered Demon as it lay helplessly beneath the orb of light.

"P-Please... spare me..." The Demon croaked in a high-pitched voice, peering up at Yusuke with a bulging yellow eye.

Yusuke took a moment to gaze over the small skinny creature, before snorting and looking back to Kuwabara. "Finish him."

"W-What!?" The Demon yelped in a horrified voice, moving its wrists away and revealing its withered face. The bulbous eyes widened hugely, and its gaping lipless mouth dropped wide open, revealing tiny needle-like teeth.

Kuwabara raised his leg once again, moving his foot over the top of the Demon's head.

"P-PLEASE! NOO-" The Demon's cry for mercy was cut short as the redhead brought his sneaker down onto the small Demon's cavity, crushing its skull with a sickly squelch.

The room fell silent, and Kuwabara moved his foot away from the Demon's corpse. Just as he did, its emaciated form shrivelled up like a raisin, before collapsing into black dust. The claw lodged in Kurama's shoulder reacted simultaneously, it too deteriorating to dust that fell from the Kitsune's body. He winced and held an elegant hand over his shoulder wound, but kept his emerald eyes focused on the spot where Tall Man had been.

They all stared at the dust in silence, unmoving from their fixed positions.

Yusuke didn't even know what to think. The whole event had been so peculiar and disturbing. Yet it had all happened so fast.

"You did it boys!" A female voice broke the silence, just as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around Yusuke's torso from behind, squeezing him tight.

"Agh!" He wheezed out, as he felt soft lips kiss his cheek repeatedly. He couldn't help but crack a small smile, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. Kuwabara looked up at him, and a smile graced his own lips. Seeing Kuwabara smile just made Yusuke's grin even wider. "You're right Botan, we did it."

Kuwabara nodded slowly, his own grin widening. "Damn right, we did it!"

Yusuke's grin stretched even more, and he let out another chuckle, that quickly changed into a full laugh. He moved forward to lightly punch Kuwabara's shoulder. " _You_ did it bro! You kicked that guy's ass!"

Kuwabara let out his own laugh, moving a fist out in front of him. "Hell yeah I did! I smashed him to smithereens!"

Another chuckle then joined in, a quiet gentle laugh from Kurama. "I have to say Kuwabara, I've never seen you display such brutality. You surely saved us from being eaten alive."

Kuwabara winked and pointed at the Fox Demon. "You're damn right I did! You can all treat me to a huge meal tomorrow!"

"Or how about a nice long rest in bed for you all?" Botan piped in with a grin.

Yusuke fist pumped with a brash laugh. "Hell yeah! Ughhh I've been so sick of getting up early every and workin' all day long. This past week has been hell!"

The others laughed, but Hiei simply cleared his throat, catching Kuwabara's gaze with his narrow ruby eyes. His stony face then took on a surprisingly soft tone, and a small smile graced his thin lips. "Not bad, Kazuma Kuwabara."

Kuwabara blinked in surprise, before grinning back at the short Demon. "You're welcome, shorty."

* * *

 **Finally finished this chapter! I'm sorry it's so late, I had to put a _lotta_ thought into this one. I'm pretty glad with how it turned out though, hope it was worth the wait!**

 **We're very close to the end now, only one last chapter left to write ^ ^ I hope you guys have been enjoyin this fanfic!**


	11. Another Case Closed

**Chapter 11 – Another Case Closed**

Yusuke and his team left the throne room, tracing their steps back out along the grand marble hall, the stone tunnel junction, through the dark room of the guardian beast, and then back down the cramped hallway to the original wooden dojo interior at the entrance. All presence of Demonic energy was gone, and the building sat still with a quiet earthly aura. The sky was still dark and cloudy, and small droplets of rain were pattering the soaked grass outside the open doorway.

Kuwabara sighed as he was the last to step out from the cramped stairway and into the dark wooden room, stretching his arms out to his sides. A soft sound of wood sliding over wood whooshed from behind them, and they turned to see the concealed Demon stairway pushing back up into its original place to form a wall. The small grooves from before faded out from sight.

Hiei reached out with a small fist, tapping it against the wall, producing a heavy solid knock. It was a normal wall. "It's over." He looked to Yusuke with a confirming gaze, his eyes soft and seemingly satisfied.

Yusuke nodded with a grin, before turning and limping slightly to the open door, peeking out at the grey sky, a few droplets of rain stroking down his face from his messy combed hair. The others stepped up behind him, and he turned back to them, holding a hand to one of the long cuts on his chest. "So what now?"

Kurama smiled, slowly rotating his injured shoulder. He'd popped the joint back into place, and was now holding a large healing leaf against the wound. "We can return to normality. I think I'll spend some time with my mother and step-father. I've been planning to for a while, and I feel this is a good time to take some comfortable rest."

Hiei focused his attention to the view outside the door, watching as the rain lightly peppered a small murky puddle. "I will stay here, in the forest. I could use a change of scenery." He glanced to Yusuke with a smirk. "All this time spent with you has made me miss seclusion."

Yusuke grunted with a grin, before looking to Kuwabara. "Guess me and Kuwabara will just go home." He then wrapped an arm around Botan's waist, pulling her close to him with a small wince. "...And you're coming with me."

Botan blushed and lowered her head with a shy smile. "Oh my..."

Kurama chuckled softly. "You two will have a chance to properly enjoy each other's company now."

Yusuke blushed a little, and he and Botan gazed to each other with grins.

Kuwabara snickered and patted Yusuke's shoulder. "Urameshi's been waitin' for that ever since we started this case!"

The Detective inhaled sharply in pain, pushing his friend's hand away. "Don't... touch..."

Kurama and Kuwabara chuckled at his reaction, before the Kitsune reached out to place a hand on Kuwabara's shoulder. "You know, you're always welcome to come by my mother's home whenever you like. I will be there for a while, and I've told her about you. Do you still have the address I gave you?"

Yusuke and Kuwabara both nodded. "Sure do." Yusuke smiled. "I'll drop by sometime."

"Me too." Kuwabara folded his arms. "I hope your mom can make good cake!"

Hiei sighed and stepped up to the door, his hands in his pockets. "I don't wish to drag this out any longer than I need to. My work here is done, and so is our little reunion."

Yusuke looked to him, leaning back against the wall. "Alright, if you're so eager to go, you can. See ya around then, I guess."

Kuwabara nodded at the Demon with his own grin. "See ya later Pipsqueak."

Hiei glanced back at Kuwabara with a stern gaze, but a small respectful smile touched his lips, and he looked over the group's faces with an interest he rarely displayed. "Until next time, fools." The swordsman suddenly disappeared out of sight with a gust of air, leaving a faint trail of shadow after him as he flitted away and into the forest's confines.

Yusuke turned back to Kurama. "Time to head back to civilisation."

Kurama nodded and pulled back a sleeve to look at a digital watch on his wrist. "If I remember correctly, the next train comes by in half an hour."

"Alright, let's get outta here." With that said, Yusuke headed out from the doorway, the wet grass squelching under his sneakers as he and his friends headed away from the forest's edge and down through the field ahead, never once glancing back at the frail wooden building lurking out from the forest behind them.

* * *

"Well this was fun, eh?"

Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Botan were stood outside Kuwabara's house. They had taken the train from the small country village to Kurama's apartment, packed up all their things, took another train to their home city and bid Kurama farewell, before making a long trek back to their neighbourhood.

Kuwabara chuckled, lugging his bag under his arm. "Sure was! Think we need a nice long break from case work for a while though."

Yusuke laughed. "I hear that!"

Botan smiled and nodded "You two have definitely earned a good rest!"

Kuwabara yawned loudly, stretching his back. "Well, I better get goin'. I hope I'm in time for dinner!"

Yusuke grinned and shook his head. "Still thinkin' about food."

Kuwabara shrugged. "What can I say? I've worked up quite an appetite!" He then pointed to Yusuke's chest. "So what you gonna tell your mom about those scratches?"

Yusuke looked down at his torn up shirt. Kurama had given him some leaves that had stopped the bleeding and started coagulation, but the cuts were still thick and red. "Botan and I spoke about it on the train. We're gonna tell her the school's field-trip bus totalled down a hill and I smashed through a window."

Kuwabara snorted and shook his head. "Pff! Guess I'll have to back you up with that one."

"Damn right you better, it was the best we could come up with."

Kuwabara shook his head with a chuckle. "Well, I'll see ya' tomorrow Urameshi! You too Botan!" He winked at them, before turning and heading through the gates to his house.

Yusuke watched him go, before swinging his bag over his shoulder with wince, and turning to Botan. "One last stop to go."

* * *

Yusuke opened his front door and stepped inside, but Botan remained standing at his door.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow Yusuke..."

Yusuke blinked and looked back at Botan, who was stood shyly with her head low.

"You don't wanna come in?" He asked quietly, his eyes darkening a little.

Botan's cheeks turned a little red. "U-Urm... are you sure you want me to? I won't be a bother will I? You probably want to rest and be by yourself right now."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you kiddin'? Hell no, I wanna be with you right now!"

Botan shuffled her feet a little, as a shy smile touched her lips. "...Well, okay. I could give Koenma the report tomorrow..."

Yusuke grinned. "So… you'll stay? The night?"

She giggled quietly, holding a hand over her mouth childishly. "M-Mhm..."

Yusuke grinned and stepped aside to let Botan in, before closing the door. Just then, footsteps could be heard approaching from the kitchen.

"Yusuke, are you back?" It was his mother. She rounded the corner, blinking when she spotted Botan. "Oh! Hello again Botan. Did you two have fun?"

Yusuke quickly lifted his bag up to hide the cuts and his chest. He didn't want Atsuko to confront him about this now, he had his mind set on some alone time with his reaper girl.

They both nodded, Botan with a big smile on her face. "Oh yes! Definitely the best school trip ever!"

Yusuke's mom nodded, reaching into her pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes. "Good! I hope you didn't get up to any trouble?" She sent Yusuke a stern glance.

Yusuke snorted. "Psh, me? Yeah right."

Atsuko shook her head with a humoured frown, placing a cigarette in her mouth, looking back to Botan as she lit it. "So… will you be staying over tonight?"

Botan's legs gave away slightly in surprise, her knees knocking together. "O-Oh! Urm… well yes, if that's okay..."

Yusuke's mother smiled. "Sure!" She pulled the cigarette away between her fingers, puffing some smoke. "Sorry, but we don't have any spare rooms. You could take the couch I guess. But I'm sure Yusuke wouldn't mind sharing his room with you." She'd clearly caught onto the situation, and sent Yusuke a smug grin.

Yusuke cleared his throat quietly. "Yeah, that'll be fine…"

Botan nodded slowly, her cheeks bright red. "Th-Thank you…"

Atsuko smirked at the two, before turning and heading back into the kitchen. "I was about to make some dinner. I'll make extra for you guys, I'll call you when it's on the table."

"Okay thanks." Yusuke called to her, taking his bag away from his chest with a small sigh. He then smiled at Botan, before leading her across to his room. He opened the door and stepped inside, tossing his bag onto his bed. Botan closed the door behind her, examining the room as she placed her backpack on the wooden floor.

"My my, your room is looking tidy Yusuke." She smiled.

Yusuke sat down on his bed, before slowly beginning to pull his ripped shirt off from over his head. "Why does everyone say that like it's a massive surprise?" He winced, tossing the blood-stained garment onto the floor.

Botan gritted her teeth as Yusuke revealed his torso. A good number of angry scratches spanned across his chest and abdomen, and his stomach was violently bruised.

"It looks bad, huh." Yusuke hissed, reaching down to poke at his bruised skin. He quickly retracted the muscle as his finger made contact, grunting in pain.

"Is there anything I can do? Do you have a first aid kit around?" Botan stepped up to his bed with a concerned look in her large eyes.

Yusuke shook his head and held up a hand. "It's good babe. Those plant things Kurama gave me have helped with the cuts, they'll heal up in time. And the bruises will fade pretty soon. Just be gentle with me, yeah?"

Botan smiled a little, nodding slowly. "Okay my dear." She gently sat next to him on the bed. "...You did really well today Yusuke, I'm so proud of you."

He hummed and lifted his shoulders. "It was nothing."

Botan then bit her lip and took hold of his jaw, slowly moving his head to face her. "I'm so lucky to have a strong, brave Detective like you…"

Yusuke blinked, blushing with a smirk as he moved his hand to the back of her neck, leaning in to kiss her softly. "You're so beautiful…" He whispered against her lips, gazing into her rose eyes.

She smiled and pushed a strand of slick black hair behind his ear, before planting her hands on his cheeks. She kissed him back, this time slower. They pulled away with a soft smooching sound, and she rubbed her nose against his.

"I love you Yusuke, with all of my heart…"

The Spirit Detective grinned, before wrapping his arms round her waist and squeezing her close, ignoring the pain from his injured torso. This moment was too important for him to be distracted by pain. He loved Botan more than anything, and he was ready to spend the rest of his life doing what he could to make sure she never forgot that.

"I love you too Botan."

* * *

 **THE END!**

 **I'm sooo sorry that this last chapter is ridiculously late. My laptop was broken and I haven't had access to the internet for a while, so I had to borrow my girlfriend's laptop for this. Feels good to finally have this fic finished! I really hope you guys have enjoyed it, and I'd appreciate any feedback you can give me ^ ^ Writing this story has been so fun, I'm definitely gonna be posting up more Yu Yu Hakusho fics in the future.**

 **Stay cool, cats and chicks!**


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